Mixturing Moves (On Hiatus)
by Sonic Ramon
Summary: Within the world of Solark, a world without humans, lies Iris the Dragonite. Who vows revenge on a Legendary that took the life of someone close to her. She'll travel across the world of Solark, with companions by her side and encounter objects of mystique, Marvel Mischief, to further her goal. While focused on vengeance, another evil lurks. Will her desire for revenge last long?
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. They belong to their rightful owners Gamefreak/Nintendo.**_ ** _However, the ideas I put within this fanfic such as the places and the universe they're in are created by me._**

 ** _Author's note: I've been working on this fanfic for quite sometime now. Re-uploading it on here a bunch of times because of the mistakes I constantly keep making with it. But now, I'm pretty sure that I'm ready to show you all what this fanfic is capable of. This fanfic, as expected, doesn't have humans in it. Much like the PMD series but it's different. It's its own thing with Pokemon in it. Purely meant to be imaginative, of course! So I hope you all enjoy reading it and tell me what you think about it. You can give me constructive criticism if you want to. Any kinds of criticism, rather it be positive or negative as long as it helps me improve as a writer in the future! Chapter 1 will be uploaded as well so read that one when you have the chance!_**

 _ **Here's also some shoutouts to my helpers on this fanfic from Wattpad: DiancieIsBae, Drop_the_Based, and RaijinWolf. Without them, this fanfic wouldn't be at its stable core as I wanted it to be. I also wanted to thank Drop_the_Based for the artwork she created for my fanfic cover.**_

 ** _With that being said, enjoy!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 0: Prologue.**

Lying within the grassy, green plains was a village at plain sight. The village was filled with Dragon type Pokemon socializing with each other and sharing laughters. There were about six houses in the area, all of which had three windows and a door. The houses themselves looked ordinary and undeveloped, not fancy and spectacular. Inside one of them were three Pokemon; The orange winged dragon-like creature with grayish-green eyes: Dragonite. The tiny, blue serpentine-like creature with a white underbelly: Dratini. And the dark blue, hammerhead shark-like creature with a shark tailfin: Garchomp. The Dragonite had a gray wristband around his right arm as he cradle the Dratini.

The Dragonite seemed to be telling the Dratini a story while the Garchomp enter the home. "Good afternoon, sir." The Garchomp said, closing the door behind her. The Dragonite and the Dratini looked at the Garchomp's direction, smiling at her in delight.

"Good afternoon, Maza. Nice to see my Number 1 Dragon Senator joining my father to daughter storytelling. Just in time too, by the way." The Dragonite said as he laughed humbly. The Dratini waved at Maza with her tail.

"H-Hi M-Miss M-Maza." The Dratini said innocently.

Maza looked at the Dratini and gasped. "Dr-Drath! Y-Your daughter! She talks!" Maza exclaimed excitedly. The Dragonite looked at the Dratini.

"I know. I'd been teaching Iris how to speak since she was a tad bit younger."

"So this means she'll grow into a Dragonair soon?" Maza questioned, curiosity filling her thoughts with eager and interest.

"Not quite. She still got a lot of time ahead of her in order to evolve." Drath answered wisely.

Iris pouted a bit, saying "I th-thought you s-said within a couple of d-days I'll evolve!". Drath looked at Iris and grin.

"Did I?" He asked. He then started playing with her by pretending to have her nose, leading her to giggle.

"Anyway, what brings you here Maza?" The Dragonite questioned as he stop entertaining the Dratini.

"Well sir, I'm here to check on you. You know that me and the others here care about you truly." Maza answered, revealing a cheerful expression. "So what is this storytelling you were referring to?"

"Well, it's that story me and you knew about." Drath said, shrugging uncomfortably. His eyes drifted to the side.

"Hmm? But...sir...are you sure you wanna tell...that story to Iris?" Maza replied, shrugging as well and twiddling her claws.

"Yes, I am sure. I believe that she should know about the objects and _him_."

"Well then, I wouldn't mind listening to it again." Maza said, sitting down on a chair nearby the door and in front of the window.

Drath nodded at Maza then look at Iris, "So, here goes the story.". The Dragonite cleared his throat before he opened his mouth, " _It has long been since Pokemon can combine moves with the help of rare phenomenons, and nothing has been joyful ever since then._ ". Iris gasped, hearing her father speak in a serious, menacing tone as if it's her first time. Drath continues on with his storytelling," _From the legends foretold, these magical rare objects were known as the Marvel Mischief. They allow those that possess it to combine two moves into one called Mixturing Move. An example of such would be Aqua Jet and Volt Switch together. They can be named as 'Aqua Switch' or any kind of name the user prefers._ "

Iris suddenly interrupted the Dragonite's story, "Daddy! Wh-what's a M-Marvel M-Mischief?"

Drath looked at Iris, smiling. "Why it's this thing on my right arm, dear." Drath answered as he show her his wristband. Iris noticed the wristband and gasp softly.

"D-Do all the M-Marvel M-Mischief look like th-that?" Iris asked eagerly.

"Not all of them, my dear. They aren't always a wristband." Iris hopped on the Dragonite's left arm.

"I want one! I want one! D-Do I have one, daddy!? Do I!? Do I!?" She asked repeatedly.

"Yes you do, young one." Drath replied.

Drath went in his dresser behind him and got out a crystal-like necklace. He put it around the Dratini's neck proudly. "All yours', my child." He said, smiling gleefully. Iris hopped onto Drath's lap, feeling amazingly excited and pleased as her necklace lowered a bit. Maza stared at Drath, confused and shocked by his decision. Drath looked back and chuckled.

"Hey, she wanted to see her Marvel Mischief, okay?" He took his attention back to Iris, smiling firmly. "Alright, alright. Settle down now. After all, I did work my tail off finding these two objects." He told her.

"W-Why you say that, daddy?" Iris said confusedly.

"Because these objects are known to be very rare to find...you'll see what I mean." Drath said, looking away from Iris nervously as he continued the story.

" _400 years ago, these objects were supposed to be devices used for fun, helpful tools, and other activities. These objects were meant to make dreams come true. To make every Pokemon feel happy and secure...although..._ ". Drath paused for a moment, looking at Maza as he nodded shakily. Maza nodded back slowly, being confident and nervous during so. Iris looked at the two confusedly.

"Huh...?" She asked. Drath looked back at Iris.

"It's nothing, dear..." He trailed. Iris blinked as Drath continued.

" _There was one Pokemon whose dream was to endanger the Pokemon world and rebuild it with his bare hands. His name was Yuki the Aegislash. Yuki planned to use the Marvel Mischiefs to forward his plot. He had allies by his side, those allies being his followers toward his goal. Yuki and his army of Ghost types soon became a threat to the Sacred Village._ "

"The Sac-cred what?" Iris asked, her head tilting.

"Yes, Iris. The Sacred Village. It was a place where all the Marvel Mischiefs were made by the village chiefs themselves. Now then, _Yuki used to live in the Sacred Village, his supposed hometown. He told the citizens about his plan for world recreation being the gateway to a new era of all Pokemon's lives. But they shunned him for having such an absurd idea and banished him from the village. Out of pure anger, he gathered all his followers to raid the village and take the Marvel Mischiefs for themselves._ "

" _After the massive raid on the Sacred Village, a red, rainbow winged bird known as the Legendary Pokemon Ho-Oh, soared down from the sky and noticed Yuki's group causing terror within the village. The Pokemon at the village pled for Ho-Oh's aid to stop Yuki's madness. Ho-Oh demanded Yuki to end his rampant riot but the Aegislash refused. Thus, leading Ho-Oh to disintegrate Yuki with his eternal flames after being attacked by him. After Yuki's body turned into ashes, Ho-Oh disposed them into thin air with his wings..._ "

Iris' eyes widened. "W-Whoa. That s-sounds s-scary." She said, frightened from the thought. Drath looked at Iris and sighed.

"I know, kiddo. It scared me too when I first heard of this story." He replied. Drath then continued on.

" _After Yuki's ashes disappeared, the villagers thanked Ho-Oh for his support before the rainbow winged Pokemon fled off to his home. The army of Ghost types scurried away from the village after seeing their leader deceased, no longer to be seen again..._ "

" _When Ho-Oh return to his home, the Sacred Tower, he began to feel ill. He saw it as an minor issue and ignored it entirely, going into his humble sleep afterwards. The following next day, the illness became worse. Ho-Oh was sneezing, coughing and spitting out blood continuously. Over and over. Again and again...He knew that he had to get rid of this sickness after realizing the major harm it bestowed on him. So he ventured off into a forbidden cave, a place every legendary knew._ ". Iris gasped, her big eyes squinting in fear.

"I know...it's awful. But it gets worse from here..." Drath responded warily, then went back to storytelling.

" _As Ho-Oh made it to the cave, he scolded out the name 'Mewtwo'. Mewtwo, the most powerful Legendary who's originally born from Mew's DNA, appeared out of the cavern and became curious about Ho-Oh's request. Ho-Oh exclaimed to him about the situation and Mewtwo believed that it was Ho-Oh's Marvel Mischief causing him to feel unwell. After Mewtwo explain the process of ridding Ho-Oh's illness, Ho-Oh suddenly lashed at him._ "

Iris gasped once more as Drath continued, " _Mewtwo tried to calm the legendary down but Ho-Oh blasted him away with his flames. After Mewtwo recovered, he noticed the rainbow winged bird no longer being in his presence. It was at this moment that he knew he had to do something about the Marvel Mischiefs immediately. So he went to the Sacred Village and used his psychic powers to separate the objects. Everyone in the village became perplexed and questioned Mewtwo's action. Mewtwo refused to answer and left the village afterwards._ "

" _No one at the village understood why Mewtwo separate the objects except for him. He wanted to make sure that no one get their hands on them after the Ho-Oh incident, destroying all the ones he find along the way. He's been searching for Ho-Oh ever since then..._ "

"The end." Drath said, looking rather depressed. Iris looked at Drath eagerly.

"What happened!? How did it happened!?" She questioned him.

Drath looked at her and said, "Ho-Oh went out of control and tried to kill Mewtwo. No one knew why when they first heard of this story. Though, Mewtwo believed that it's because of the Marvel Mischief causing him to go insane for some reason. But, I don't think it's because of the Marvel Mischief. If so, I would've gone insane just like Ho-Oh did...I think it must be something else..." Drath sighed as he looked out of the window.

"Some say Ho-Oh wanted to hunt down every Marvel Mischiefs. Some say that he wanted to destroy anyone who has a Marvel Mischief." Drath saw a barrier around the village, wincing sorrowfully. "Reasons to why I'm protecting my little kingdom...just in case." Iris and Maza looked at Drath worriedly, Maza sensing a slight bit of fear from her leader.

 _Drath..._ Maza thought before sighing softly.

Soon, a scream was heard coming from the outside. "Hmm? What was that?" Maza questioned, looking outside of the window. Drath noticed that the barrier was no longer visible as the Dratini hopped off of him immediately.

"Huh!? What the heck!?" Drath said. He began to run outside without a second thought. Maza blinked, picking up Iris and following him. The three were outside, seeing all the Dragon types running away from something. Drath gritted his teeth in frustration and questioned, "What's everyone running from!?"

Maza looked at Drath. "I don't know but they must be running from something dangerous." She replied. Iris whimpered, burying her face into Maza's chest. Soon, the three noticed a large, blue draconic dragon with medium-sized wings (Druddigon), heading their direction. He stopped in front of them, panting heavily.

"F-Finally I found you, sir!" The Druddigon shouted.

"Senator Lawrence, what's going on? Why's everyone running away?" Drath questioned the Druddigon.

"Because there's a red winged bird rampaging the village right now." Lawrence answered worriedly.

"A red winged bird...?" Drath asked, beginning to feel worried.

"Drath! Lookout!" Maza exclaimed.

Drath saw a huge, fiery fireball aiming at him and the others. "Shoot!" The Dragonite yelled, pushing Maza and Iris out of the way and dodging the attack. Lawrence dodged along as well. The fireball hit the ground, leading the four Dragon types to be blown away by its effects. Drath landed on his feet while Maza landed on her back, holding Iris in her arms tightly. Lawrence landed on his feet as well but lost his balance for a bit, quickly recovering it afterwards. The Druddigon and Dragonite looked at where the attack came from and Drath's eyes widened in horror. "I-It can't be." Drath said, terrified at the view. Maza looked at him.

"Wh-what is it?" She then looked at the view and gasped, shaking in constant fear. "N-No..."

Iris looked as well and blinked. Her maw widened in awe before saying, "R-Rainbow w-wings...".

"Drath, is that-" Maza was interrupted by the Dragonite's answer.

"Yes, that's him..."

A phoenix peacock creature was flapping his wings and looked down at the four. He had green stripes on his neck and prismatic wings. He's Ho-Oh, the Legendary Pokemon that's wielding a silver necklace around his neck. He seemed to be carrying a device in his foot. Drath saw the device and sweated tensely, gritting his teeth. _How the heck did he find the barrier device!?_ He thought, his mind slowly swimming into panic.

Ho-Oh dropped the device to the ground, causing it to shatter into pieces. Drath gritted his teeth angrily, making a fist on his right hand. It began to spark electricity. "You're not clever, you know?" Ho-Oh said to Drath. "Creating such a barrier that any legendary can find with no hassle."

Drath's eyes widened in terror as Ho-Oh grinned at him. Ho-Oh's eyes began to glow a orange and light blue color as flames started forming around his body. "Maza...get Iris out of here. And Lawrence...you come aid me in this fight." Drath commanded in a solemn tone and gulped firmly. Lawrence nodded slowly in response.

Maza stared at Drath, horrified at the command before saying, "No! I want to help you too, sir!"

Drath gritted his teeth and glared at Maza. "I don't want my daughter at risk of danger, okay!?" Maza looked into Drath's eyes, knowing the Dragonite cared deeply for Iris' safety.

Maza nodded slightly and looked at Iris, a tear sliding down from her eye. "We've got to go, little one." Maza said in a sorrow, low tone as she got up on her feet.

"But, what about daddy?" Iris questioned worriedly.

"Daddy has to take care of some important business right now, Iris. So it's best if we get out of daddy's way while we still can." Maza answered as she looked at Drath and Lawrence. Both were in their firm position and ready to battle.

"Okay, here's the deal. You give me every Marvel Mischiefs you have in this village and no one gets hurt." Ho-Oh said sadistically. "Sounds good to you?"

Drath's fist crackled louder with electricity. "I rather die than giving the Marvel Mischiefs to a corrupted Legendary like you!" He proclaimed. Lawrence looked at Ho-Oh angrily, snarling while his claws glow with blue aura surrounding it.

Ho-Oh smirked. "Fine, if that's the case then I shall destroy you and everyone you loved." Ho-Oh decided. He soared down to the two Pokemon drastically, setting the houses he passed by on fire.

Drath looked at Maza quickly and yelled, "Run!"

Maza nodded and picked up Iris, dashing away without looking back. Iris looked behind Maza, seeing Drath and Lawrence worriedly. "Daddy?" She said. Drath and Lawrence braced themselves for Ho-Oh's menacing impact.

 _End of Prologue._


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: A Day to be Vengeful.**

Darkness...nothing but pitch black. Although, within the darkness...a female voice spoke:

" _That day...I drowned in sadness..._ "

. . .

Iris saw Ho-Oh's Flame Charge attack aiming fiercely at her father and Lawrence. The two dragons nod at each other and prepare their attacks: Drath readied a Thunder Punch and Lawrence revealed his Dragon Claw. The dragons jumped to strike the bird but was blown away by Ho-Oh's attack, landing on their backs. Ho-Oh backed away from the collision, panting eagerly.

Iris watched the distance between her and her father grew more and more. Her eyes widened in fear and concern. Concern about her father's battle.

Maza soon saw a large, white dragon statue nearing a hill up ahead. Underneath the statue said 'Reshiram' as Maza noticed some Dragonites nearing it. "Everything will be alright." Maza said to Iris, trying to keep her calm. She reached toward the location and set the Dratini down gently.

"Hey!" A voice said in a loud yet fairly soft tone. Maza's attention was brought toward a blue, fluffy winged bird flying at her direction from the sky: Altaria. She sighed in relief from the Altaria's presence. "Thank goodness you're here, Astona." Maza said worriedly. Astona looked at Maza curiously.

"Maza, who is that ruthless beast that's destroying our homeland?" Astona asked. "I mean, I was out running some errands when all of the sudden, this happens..." Maza looked at her and shook her head.

"Astona, that beast is Ho-Oh. He's from the Marvel Mischief story me and Drath had read about."

Astona looked at Maza and gasped, her body trembling with shock and terror. "Oh Arceus, no..." She said, tearing up. Maza frowned at the Altaria.

"Look. No time for crying, now. Because I need your help." Maza said firmly. "I'll need you to stay here and protect Iris for me."

"Why?" Astona asked, sniffling.

"I want to help the king fight against Ho-Oh." Maza answered. "Besides..."

Her claws began to glow blue. "Protecting the Crater Grassland is what we senators do. We're like guardians of this place. A place filled with Dragon types coming together to worship Reshiram through peace, kindness and honesty." The Garchomp turned toward the Reshiram statue. "So I can't risk anything happening to Drath. To the Pokemon of this village in general!"

Maza then climbed on the hill and jumped in the air, soaring towards the dragon village as fast as a cheetah chasing down its prey. For the meantime, Astona immediately cleared her face from the tears and looked at Iris with an instant smile. "Hop on my back, little one. You'll feel safer this way while Lady Maza and your father has to handle that Ho-Oh fella." She said in a soft tone. She turned around, revealing her blue skin in the middle of her back. Iris looked at the village for a brief moment, letting all the concerns and terror expand throughout her mind before getting on Astona.

"Daddy..." She said, wincing in sadness.

"Don't worry. They'll be fine, dear." Astona replied. She turned her head toward the village, staring down at it worriedly. "Hopefully..."

As Drath and Lawrence got up, Ho-Oh came rushing after the two with another Flame Charge, becoming more quicker than before. Their eyes widened at the attack and was about to be engulfed by it until Maza came just in time to use Dragon Claw on it. The collision sent Ho-Oh and Maza away instantly; Maza landing gracefully on the ground while Ho-Oh crashed into some of the houses and sprawl all over the place. Drath and Lawrence looked at Maza, the Dragonite's eyes became furious at her sight. "Maza! I thought I told you to stay and protect Iris!" Drath yelled.

Maza narrowed her eyes at Drath. "I wanted to help you, sir. And besides, Astona is the one protecting Iris at the moment." She said, glancing.

"But I ordered you to protect Iris, not someone else!"

"Sir, I'm a Senator and I can't let you and Lawrence do all the dirty work! Senators shouldn't let their allies be harmed at all cost, for crying out loud!" The Garchomp sighed heavily while Drath grunted due to frustration and pure pressure.

"You two, look out!" Lawrence interrupted the two, pointing at something in front of him.

The two dragons caught their eyes at Ho-Oh soaring in the air, his body being surrounded by yellow aura. Maza gasped. "He's using some kind of Electric attack!" And her prediction was correct as Ho-Oh fired a Thunderbolt attack at Drath. Maza got in front of the Dragonite and took the hit, whimpering from the attack.

"Maza!" Drath yelled. Iris gasped and trembled in fear, continued to stare at the action happening within the dragon village. Ho-Oh grinned menacingly and joyfully.

"Not exactly a good idea, huh Garchomp?" Ho-Oh said, laughing in pleasure.

"What are you laughing about?" Maza asked, frowning at Ho-Oh. "I'm the one who's supposed to be laughing here." She took the Thunderbolt like it was nothing all along.

"Wh-What!?" Ho-Oh squawked, surprised by the Garchomp's faking her pain as she walk toward him.

Drath sighed in relief. "Nice job, Maza. Looks like I'll need your help after all."

Maza grinned as her body gotten consumed in blue aura. She launched forward, unleashing her Dragon Rush attack onto the phoenix. Ho-Oh quickly used Protect, forming a clear shield around himself. Maza hit the Protect and gritted her teeth. _Dammit._ She thought. And without warning, Ho-Oh smacked her with his wing, sending her crashing into one of the houses.

"Maza!" Drath yelled out, gripping his fist. Ho-Oh looked at the Dragonite and Druddigon evilly before suddenly wincing.

"What...the..." Ho-Oh said, feeling a sudden pain from his wing. He looked at Maza, glaring down at her. "What did you do to me!?"

She got up weakly, grinning. "It's Rough Skin. A simple direct contact that involves harming me can really bite you back." She said.

"Grr...Gah! Enough of you playing tricks on me!" Ho-Oh fussed.

"Tricks? For a terrifying legendary, you sure don't know what typings and abilities are..." Maza formed a bead of sweat by the side of her face.

The phoenix became furious and blast Sacred Fire at the Garchomp. Maza countered it with Dragon Claw. After she flings the attack to the side, sending it flying over the village, Ho-Oh slammed her against the ground with his foot. She struggled to get out of his grasp as this caused Drath to form electricity around his fist. "No!" Drath yelled, running towards Ho-Oh with his Thunder Punch ready to strike. Ho-Oh saw Drath and easily slapped him away, the Dragonite flew in the air and crashed into a burning house, groaning in pain. Lawrence became ticked off and scream, his body being shrouded in red aura. He then rushed toward Ho-Oh and let out a flurry of punches and scratches and kicks at him like a nonstop car driving at max acceleration on a highway: Outrage. Ho-Oh squawked in pain, still holding Maza down as he took the attack within a storm of bullets.

"Lawrence, no! That move is too risky, especially when you're angry!" Maza yelled, yelping from Ho-Oh's trap.

"Let go of her, you disgusting root of an avian!" Lawrence demanded, proceeding to attack Ho-Oh while Ho-Oh laughed and endured the move.

Soon, Lawrence grew exhausted and dropped to the ground. "Lawrence!" Maza called out. The Druddigon slowly gotten on his feet but received the dizzy status due to Outrage's effect, moving back and forth in a unbalanced manner. Ho-Oh smiled evilly and spat out blood.

"I was waiting for you to get confused. You pathetic, fool of a dragon." Ho-Oh swiped Lawrence away from him, causing the Druddigon to sprawl all over the ground. He then picked up Maza and threw her at Lawrence with all of his might. Maza shrieked during the drastic force of a throw. As Lawrence stopped rolling, he attempted to get up on his feet only to be engulfed by Maza's body. The two groan in pain and was unable to move from their position. Drath got up on his feet, staggering out of the burning house. He snarled at Ho-Oh, glaring up at him deadly.

"C-Curse you..." Drath laid his hand onto his arm, coughing.

"Muhahaha! All three of you must be fools for going up against me. If you would've kindly given me all of your Marvel Mischiefs, this would never happen." Ho-Oh said, staring down at the three with a crazy smile.

Iris whimpered at the sight of defeat coming from the three Pokemon. "Daddy...Maza...Lawrence...no..." She snuggled up against Astona's neck and whined.

Astona and the group of Dragonites looked at the fray with wide eyes. _Come on you three. Don't give up now..._ Astona thought.

"So, Dragonite. I'll ask this one more time: Do you want to give up and give me all of those Marvel Mischiefs now? Or do you want to meet your fate along with everyone else?" Ho-Oh asked with a grin. "Your choice."

Drath gritted his teeth, forming a fist. "N-No." He said furiously.

"Hmm?"

"I won't let you nor anyone else who tries to threaten this homeland and take what's rightfully ours'!"

Drath's eyes shined into the color dark blue and light blue, his wristband glowing white. He looked at Ho-Oh angrily while his fist crackled flames and electricity. Maza and Lawrence slowly looked at the raging Dragonite.

"U-Ugh...is he...?" Lawrence groaned.

"Y-Yes...he's using it..." Maza responded as she gets off of Lawrence. Soon, she collapsed on the ground instantly.

"Maza!" Lawrence said. He groaned in pain again as he went to go aid the Garchomp.

Ho-Oh glanced at Drath, raising his brow sternly. "You're an obnoxious one, aren't you?" He said in a annoyed tone. His necklace began to glow white and his body got taken over by flames and electricity. Drath flapped his wings sternly, preparing to fly. Astona and the others watched the battle anxiously and inquisitively.

Ho-Oh and Drath rushed at each other, screaming with all of their might.

"Flare Wild Charge!" Ho-Oh yelled.

"Fire Thunder Punch!" Drath exclaimed.

Ho-Oh's lightning, flaring body collided with Drath's shocking, blazing fist. The impact created an explosion, forming black smokes to make it impossible for folks to see.

"Huh?" One Dragonite said.

"What?" Another one responded.

The Dragonites looked at the smoke in the sky, communicating with one another due to curiosity. Soon, a scream was heard and grabbed everyone's attention. Everyone gasped as soon as they saw Ho-Oh being held by the neck and slammed towards the ground by Drath, creating a loud 'BOOM!' sound. Everyone, except for Lawrence and Maza, jumped and yelped from the impact.

Drath smirked and got off of the bird, giving everyone a thumbs up. He has marks all over his body as his eyes reverts back to normal, his wristband stopped glowing as well. "It's okay, everyone. He's down." Everybody, except for Astona, Maza and Lawrence, cheered in joy.

Iris jumped up and down on Astona's back. "Daddy is okay! Yaaay!" She cheered. Maza and Lawrence looked at Drath and smiled weakly as Astona sighed in relief.

"Looks like everything is going to be alright, after all." She said, smiling as well. Iris hopped off from Astona's back and slithered toward Drath. Astona blinked and followed her. "What the!? Hey! Get back here!"

Drath saw his daughter and chuckled. "Iris." He said, still wearing a smile.

"Daddy!" Iris responded happily.

Maza look to her side and noticed that Ho-Oh was getting up quickly.

"Drath!" She yelled.

"Hmm?"

Drath suddenly coughed out blood without a lick of warning. The red liquid landed onto the Dratini's face, causing her to stop dead within her tracks. She looked to see Drath being stabbed through the chest. Her eyes widened in terror and her body stunned in place as if she's being trapped by a million vines. Behind the impaled Dragonite, lied Ho-Oh wielding a sharp, slim pole with his beak. Everyone was shocked to witness their king being punctured, speechless and frightened. Drath slowly turned his head toward the bird, his eyes boiling with anger and sadness while blood dripped from his mouth in a slow-moving pace.

"Y-You..."

Ho-Oh grinned and winked at Drath before swinging the object toward his side, sending the Dragonite crashing into his home and scream in agony.

"D-Daddy!" Iris yelled out and slithered toward Drath, tears streaming endlessly.

"Iris! Stop!" Astona said. She tried to chase after the Dratini but Ho-Oh ended up blocking her way. He stared down at Astona and the others, looking quite beaten up as he dropped the bloody pole.

His eyes reverted to normal, him cracking his neck and adjusting his wings before speaking, "Who else would like to meet their fate?" Ho-Oh then gave the crowd a perverted grin.

"You...monster..." Astona growled, feeling quite unsteady. The crowd of dragons backed away, sharing the same feeling as Astona had.

"N-No...DRRRAAAAAATH!" Lawrence cried the king's name, trying to endure the pain some more. Maza stared at Drath's home and began to shed tears. The Dratini herself reached her father and got close to him.

"Daddy!" She cried and yelled those words multiple times before she heard him cough out blood. He slowly looked at her and whimpered in pain, his chest bleeding out badly.

"I-Iris..." He said weakly, putting a hand onto the Dratini's face. "I...I didn't expect my time to come this soon..." He coughed out more red liquid while looking off to the side, seeing a small, broken portrait lying down on the ground. A portrait that contain two Dragonites and a Dratini: One holding the Dratini that's wrapped in a white blanket while the other kissed him on the cheek. Drath slowly began to shed some tears.

"I'm sorry, Solelle...but I won't be able to find you...as I promised myself to..." His tone was filled with sorrow and hopelessness as he looked at Iris and smile. "I'm sorry, Iris...I wish I could live long enough to see you grow...to see you become something I'll be proud of...but it seems like that won't be the case..." Drath groaned and coughed out some more blood, panting in a unsettle manner.

Iris whimpered. "Daddy! Please don't g-go. Pl-Please!"

"I-Iris, argh! ...I-I wish for you to t-take my pl-place and protect this ho-homeland of ours. Gah!" Drath gasped heavily, wincing in pain.

"D-Dad!" Iris whined.

"I-Iris. N-No matter what ha-happens...I-I'll always b-be with you...in heart...and soul..."

"I...lo-ove you..." Drath let those words be his last as his hand slid down from Iris' cheek, no longer moving. He became lifeless.

Iris looked at him wide-eyed as the blood slowly dried up on her face. "Daddy! Dad! Daddy!" She cried, tapping him several times with her tail. Not a muscle of him responded to the tap as this led the Dratini to cry. Everyone heard her sorrowful tone and started to sob, except for Lawrence.

Lawrence glared at Ho-Oh and shouted, "YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

"Hah hah hah hah!" Ho-Oh laughed evilly, madness dancing in his head while he cackled nonstop at the sky.

"Dammit, no! Drath!" Maza sobbed, covering her face.

Ho-Oh then looked at everyone. "Now since your master is dead, I can kill off the rest of you and take every single Marvel Mischiefs you've got." He said, beginning to grin deviously. "Or maybe...You all can become my slaves."

Lawrence grew infuriated and picked up the pole object on the ground. He ran toward Ho-Oh and tried to stab him. "Damn you! Damn you to distortion, you sick fouled beast!" He yelled out.

Ho-Oh noticed Lawrence and shook his head. "Stop trying to fight me! Your leader is dead so there's nothing left for you to battle for!" Ho-Oh smacked Lawrence away, leading him crashing to the ground and scream in pain. The object slipped out of the Druddigon's hand during so.

"Lawrence!" Maza cried out, leaping towards his side immediately.

"Hahaha. And for daring to attack me..." Ho-Oh glared at the two evilly. "YOU TWO WILL DIE FIRST! AHAHAHAHA!"

Maza gasped, holding Lawrence closely. Suddenly, Ho-Oh was unable to move. He snarled and tried to free himself.

"Wh-What the!?" He yelled. Maza noticed the dark pink outline surrounding Ho-Oh's body.

"Hmm?" She began to wonder, tilting her head slightly.

"I've finally found you, Ho-Oh." A voice said in a firm tone.

Everyone looked around, clueless to where the voice coming from. The Garchomp looked up to see a humanoid creature with feline features and had purple eyes: Mewtwo. She couldn't believe that she's staring at another legendary from the Marvel Mischief story. _Whoa..._ Mewtwo was restraining Ho-Oh from moving with his Psychic move, floating in midair while his eyes glow light blue. Everyone gasped as they saw the other legendary, backing away slightly just to be safe.

"I apologize for the destruction this Pokemon has cast upon you all." Mewtwo said.

"M-Mewtwo?" Maza blinked, rubbing her eyes while Lawrence stood there stunned.

"S-So you're Mewtwo!?" Lawrence said loudly. "J-Jeez, I'd never thought that I'll see the most powerful legendary himself throughout all my life!"

Mewtwo let out a sigh as everyone, except for Iris, staring and blinking at him in amazement. They eventually begin to chit chat about what they're witnessing. "I appreciate the praise and compliments about my appearance but please," He gave Ho-Oh a dry look. "I have business to attend to."

"Wait, are you going to harm us like that Ho-Oh fella or whatever his name is?" One Dragonite asked, filled with curiosity and concerns.

Mewtwo shook his head. "No. I have no intention into harming another lifeform."

"Oh." The Dragonite sighed in relief. "Thank goodness."

Mewtwo then caught his attention toward Iris. She stood there by her father side, staring at him and never thinking about turning around. Mewtwo decided to float near her. Maza was about to react to this but the Druddigon raised his hand stop her.

"I don't think he's going to harm her." Lawrence said. "He did said that he has no intention on hurting someone. So give him a moment and see what happens." Maza looked at the Druddigon and nodded cautiously.

"Little Dratini..." Mewtwo said. "I can tell that you're unhappy with your father's death...My apologies for not being here fast enough to save him..." Mewtwo looked down, shrugging.

Iris didn't reply nor look at Mewtwo. She continued staring at the dead body of Drath, her eyes as broken and empty as a shattered window. Mewtwo landed on the ground and kneeled near her, leaning his head forward. "You want vengeance on Ho-Oh, don't you?" He whispered to Iris. "If so, then I suggest that you evolve to become strong. Strong enough to unleash your inner rage and hate toward those who dares to defy you..." Mewtwo cleared his throat. "I'll be heading to the Unbound Tower while holding Ho-Oh hostage. I'll give you clues on where to find the Unbound Tower. The tower that was once Sacred Tower at some point...I'm doing this to see if you're worthy for revenge...and also to teach Ho-Oh a lesson he'll never forget...Understood?" Iris slightly looked at Mewtwo. He sensed the massive exasperation, grim, and depression forming from the Dratini's face as he looked to the side.

Mewtwo sighed, getting up on his feet and turn around. He exited out of the broken house as Iris continued to stare at the corpse of a beloved Dragonite.

Ho-Oh glared at Mewtwo, snarling. "What did you say to her?" Ho-Oh asked.

"Yeah. What did you tell her?" Maza joined in.

Mewtwo looked at the two and closed his eyes, slightly smirking. "Nothing." He replied. His body then started fading into a bright, pink light along with Ho-Oh's.

"Gah! Curse you, Mewtwo!" Ho-Oh yelled into frustration.

"Wait a second, Mewtwo don't go! I wanted to ask why did you believe that Ho-Oh's Marvel Mischief is-" Ho-Oh and Mewtwo teleported into the light before Maza could finish her sentence. "...causing him to feel ill..." Her and the crowd of dragons blinked at the bizarre disappearance. _Well there goes that question out of the window._

Lawrence looked at Maza. "What were you about to ask him?" He said in a curious manner. Maza looked back at him and shrugged.

"Something to do with Marvel Mischief but...I guest that question can wait." Maza and Lawrence eventually take their attention to the Altaria, whom has an sorrow look on her face.

"Well...despite the evil legendary being gone..." Astona sniffled. "Our king is...is..." She and all the other Dragon types began to bawl up, whimpering at the thought of all the bad things could happen without Drath being around.

Maza turned her attention toward Iris and got up on her feet weakly. She walked toward the Dratini and sighed, leaning against a broken wall. "We're sorry that we failed to protect your father...We tried our best, Iris. We tried to stop him with all our might but..." Iris didn't reply. She continued staring down at her father's corpse. "Iris? ...Iris...are you...okay?"

But that was all in the past as the darkness covered the scene again. The voice within the darkness spoke:

" _My name is Iris. I'm the Dratini that stared down at the mortal remains of her father. After that tragic event, things in the kingdom of Crater Grassland has changed...All the Dragon types in the Crater Village had to repair the damages caused around the area, Maza and Lawrence had to go on extra guarding duties along with recruiting some new guards, and Astona became the new head ruler of the Crater Grassland. I'm told everything is alright. That everything is going to be fine...But I know that it isn't...Things were never fine now that my father is gone...After I evolved into a Dragonair, Astona wanted to make me take her place as head ruler...but I decided not to. Sure, it shocked everyone but I have my reason: Revenge on Ho-Oh. Some days later, I decided to leave the Crater Grassland. Maza asked me why and I told her what Mewtwo told me. I told her not to tell anyone else why I'm leaving and she agreed. She then said...'sorry'. Which made me wonder: Why do everyone keep saying sorry when it's clearly Ho-Oh's fault for killing my father? Why did any of this has to happen in the first place? Well, it doesn't matter now...Ho-Oh is going to pay for his action..._ "

 _End of Chapter 1._

 _The adventure begins in Chapter 2._


	3. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: Chapter 2 is available, folks! Go ahead and take a read and tell me what you think about it. I would really like to know so that I can improve as time passes by. Without a further ado, enjoy.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Pirate Raid.**

Sailing soundly within the liquid blues of the Pirate Sea lies a ship. The ship containing a Dragonite statue performing an attacking pose while being attached to the bowsprit and a long white pole being in the middle of the ship. The huge mast attached to the pole puffs out with the wind's push, bird Pokemon soaring through the air and the aquatic Pokemon diving and racing underwater. Being on the ship are two Pokemon: One controlling the wheel of the ship while the other is on the pole looking through the binoculars at the vast blue waters.

The Pokemon with the binoculars stands on his hind paws and has four medium-sized rings around his body: He's a Furret with a black eye patch. The other Pokemon at the wheel has a slender body with most of his fur being white but contain several brown stripes: He's a Linoone. The Linoone turns slightly toward the Furret, sighing due to boredom.

"Hey bro, are we there yet?" He asks.

"Hmm. Nope. Not even close, mate." The Furret answers while withdrawing his binoculars and looking at the blue skies.

The Linoone lets out another sigh and groans. "Man, how long is that village's location?"

"About a few miles I believe, mate."

"Oh wow, that's long!" The Linoone facepalms and continues driving, grumbling something underneath his breath.

Somewhere on the ship lies a door that leads to the ship's room. The room contains a cramped and dim space, with only a lamp to provide light. Two cots and a dresser are the only things to make up the decor of the room. Being on the cots themselves lies two Pokemon; A Dragonite being on the left cot, wearing an crystalline necklace around her neck. And sitting on the right cot is a fox-like creature with golden-white fur and a small mane around her neck: Ninetales. The Ninetales is also wearing yellow earrings on her ears as she chats with the Dragonite.

"Wow...Sorry to hear that, Iris..." The Ninetales says in a sorrow tone, staring at the ground while poking the bedsheets.

The Dragonite looks at the ceiling. Her eyes goes to slit as she sighs heavily, putting a hand over her face. "Stop saying that you're sorry. It's not your fault that my father is killed." She fusses.

The Ninetales shifts a bit then sighs. "I know how you feel, Iris. It hurts to see a family member being taken away from you..." The Ninetales looks at the wall.

"Then why would you say sorry when clearly it wasn't your fault, Anna?" Iris asks firmly.

"...It was nothing...Just me being silly, that's all..." Anna continues staring at the wall while Iris removes her hand from her face. _I'm starting to wonder why I joined you in the first place..._ Anna thinks.

After a few minutes of silence, Anna proceeds to speak. "One question, Iris: How can Ho-Oh use Flare Blitz and Wild Charge together when he can learn neither of those moves?" Iris turns her attention towards Anna with a little smirk.

"Well, that's the magic of Marvel Mischief, Anna. You can think of any two moves you want and combine them into one ultimate move: Mixturing Move. Doesn't matter if you learn them or not." Iris answers proudly. Anna tilts her head slightly.

"Oh? Well, I'm impressed." Anna says.

"Yeah, but here's the catch: You can only have one 'Mixturing Move' and will stick with that move forever, once you've thought of it."

"Oh. That's a stinker."

"Yeah but the good thing is, at least you get to name it basing on two moves." Iris grins. "Although, it's weird that someone with a Marvel Mischief would ask me this. Assuming that someone would know already."

"Oh hush up, Iris!" Anna huffs, her earrings wiggling to the response of her slight movement. "You know that this Marvel Mischief I got from Wild Island is fresh and new to me!"

"Yeah yeah, I know. Just teasing ya for a little bit." Iris laughs quietly, looking at the ceiling with a determined expression spreading across her face.

Then suddenly, a loud 'THUD' is heard from the outside. The two instantly jump, being alerted by the noise. "The hell was that!?" Anna says while her head darts around.

"I don't know. But let's find out immediately." Iris suggests before opening the door and heads outside. Anna follows the Dragonite closely, being on guard of what's ahead. Outside of the ship lies another ship being close to theirs. The Linoone and Furret stare at the ship, both rear back and eyes widen. Iris looks at the two Pokemon and gets beside them. "Ashen, Lucas, what's going on here!?"

Lucas, the Furret, turns around to face Iris and adjust his eye patch. "I don't know, mate! We were-minding business-out of nowhere-ship!" Lucas stammers, his body quivering due to fright.

Ashen notices something on the ship and says, "Guys, look!". He points at the ship, causing the three to catch their attention toward it.

Being on the ship are four lizard-like creatures with oval eyes and a mohawk. Sickly smiles spread across their faces, eyeing at their provoked prey with pleasure. They're known as Scraftys, with one of them wearing a black pirate hat on her head. The pirate hat Scrafty looks at the four Pokemon on the Dragonite's ship and snickers.

"Captain Iris." The female Scrafty says, shifting her hat. "I have some unfinished business to take care of with you and your crewmates."

"Unfinished business? Like what?" Iris asks, looking at her solemnly.

"Oh, like stealing all the loot you got on that there ship."

The female Scrafty grins as her crew spew threat slurs to Iris and the others. Anna raises her brow while Lucas shakes in fear. The other two glare at them, frowns forming across their faces.

"Yeah. We don't have any 'loot' for you fellas." Iris snarls. "And even if we do, we wouldn't give it to you anyway."

"Y-Yeah!" Lucas yells out, quavering nonstop.

The female Scrafty laughs, leaning her arm against her knee. "Is that so? Heh. It won't matter cause we're trashing yer ship until we find something." The Scrafty looks at her crewmates. "Am I right, boys?"

The Scraftys cheer and agree with her, making random grunting and immature noises. Anna growls at the female Scrafty fiercely, preparing to pounce at any given time. "I suggest you sail away right now, Detonix."

"Hmm. I think not." Detonix laughs along with her crew. "Trash this dump, boys." The three Scraftys nod and jump on board the Dragonite's ship eagerly.

"Welp. Guess we gotta deal with these idiots again." Iris says firmly. She and the others embrace themselves in a match as the three Scraftys dash after them with hands glowing dark red: Brick Break. Anna notices the three Scraftys aiming for Lucas and rushes in front of him. Lucas shuts his eyes before the Ninetales uses Protect, forming a shield around her and him. The Scraftys hit the shield then jump back immediately, all gritting their teeth angrily.

Lucas opens his eyes and sees Anna, sighing in relief. "Thanks Anna! I could've been as gone as a weak Magikarp to those triple Brick Breaks if it weren't for you." Lucas says cheerfully.

"No problem. Anything for a friend." Anna responds before mumbling, "Even though that friend is a total idiot."

"Hey! I heard that, mate!"

"You two, look out!" Ashen yells.

Anna finds one of the Scraftys jumping in the air and crashing down with his foot-first: High Jump Kick. She tries to yield another Protect but the shield didn't appear. Because of this, she ends up getting kicked by the Scrafty. She yelps, being blown away as she slides to the side of the ship, nearly overboard. "Anna!" Lucas yells, scurrying over to her. He's then stopped by a jab to the head from another Scrafty, leading him to blackout.

"Lucas!" Ashen shouts, gritting his teeth. His claw glows white while he stares at Iris with intensity alerting his body. "We need to do something and fast."

"I know. Trying to think right now." Iris says, keeping calm while putting a hand against her chin.

"Trying to think? Anna is about to fall off the ship and Lucas is knocked out. Thinking isn't a good idea in this scenario."

Another Scrafty finds the two Pokemon and walks towards them with a devious grin. "Ashen, I know what I'm doing. Trust me." Iris gives the Linoone a small smirk, leading him to be stunned. She then looks at Detonix, seeing her remain on the other ship.

"Hey! Instead of having your boys fight us, why don't you join along!?" She yells out, causing the Scraftys to stop their progress.

"Hmm? Are you trying to pull a trick here? Because you don't want me coming up there. Trust me." Detonix says while tilting her hat up with a grin.

"No trick at all. Not unless you want me to beat your crewmates while you watch."

"Hmm...go ahead. I barely cared about them."

The three Scraftys look at Detonix with pebbles for eyes and say, "Whaaat!?"

"But Lady Detonix, I thought you loved us." The first Scrafty says, backing away from Anna.

"And now you know the truth. Hurts, doesn't it?" Detonix says. She thinks in her head, _I hope these idiots don't actually take what I say to heart._

"But boss..." The second Scrafty cries out before the rest of the Scraftys start whining like babies, all hugging each other instantly.

Detonix sighs heavily and facepalms. "These numbskulls..." Detonix says to herself, looking back at the Scraftys. "Guys, I was kidding. I really don't mean those hurtful things towards ya."

The Scraftys look down at her, tears still falling. "You're lying to us!" The first yells.

"Yeah, why should we believe you after that stunt?" The second asks. Detonix groans, grumbling something underneath her breath. Iris notices Anna struggling to get back on the ship.

"Shit! Iris! Ashen! Can somebody help me up, please!?" Anna yells, striving to prevent her falling death.

Iris nods. "Sure, just give me a second." She then rushes towards the first Scrafty and punches him in the face, launching him far enough to land on Detonix's ship. She aids Anna onto the Dragonite's ship afterwards.

"Thanks." Anna says with a sigh.

"Save the thanking for later." Iris says, looking at the other Scraftys. "We've got them to take care of."

"Them? You mean just only him?" Anna points at the second Scrafty.

"No. There's another one on board."

"Well, where is he then?"

The third Scrafty suddenly gets behind Ashen, confining him in his hold. "Hey!" Ashen yells, struggling. The Scrafty looks at Iris and Anna before they snarl at him.

"Since Lady Detonix doesn't care about us anymore, we might as well take whatever loot you got for ourselves!" He says.

"You do realize that you can't escape without my ship, right?" Detonix says with her eyes being rolled.

"So? We can just swim away with the loots."

The second Scrafty nods his head in approval, agreeing with the third. Detonix tilts her hat down and puts her hand against her face, closing her eyes. _I swear to Arceus, these crewmates have some serious issue of using their heads._ She thinks.

"Let go of our friend." Iris demands.

"Or else what!?" The third Scrafty teases.

"Or else this." Iris flicks her nose with her tiny claw. "Now Anna!"

Anna suddenly appears behind the Scrafty and sinks her teeth into his shoulder. The Scrafty yelps in pain before being thrown in the air. Iris launches towards him and grabs him, spinning him around.

"Aaah! I'm afraid of heights!" The third Scrafty cries.

"Oh don't worry. Because here's your-" Iris fires him towards the second Scrafty. "Landing!"

The third Scrafty screams as he aims at the other. The second Scrafty looks at the third obliviously and says, "Huh?". The two then crash into each other and get sent to Detonix's ship. Detonix turns around, noticing the three Scraftys on top of each other. One lone bead of sweat falls down her face partially, forming an angry look on her face.

"Grrr...Idiots! All three of you!" She yells, rage circulating throughout her body. The three Scraftys groan in pain while Iris, Anna and Ashen laugh. The Dragonite flaps down onto her ship.

"Wow. Talk about being threatening." Ashen smugs.

"I agree. Plus, Detonix didn't even attempt to come help her 'comrades'. So much for the Captain of the Wild Island crew, am I right?" Iris shakes her head with a smirk, the other two nodding their heads in agreement.

Detonix becomes infuriated and jumps onto Iris' ship, slamming her weight without hesitation. "Alright then, I'm on the ship. Talk filthy to me now, matees." She says whilst tilting her hat. Iris grins and stares at her unintentionally.

"Alright then. You and your crew are hor-" She suddenly pauses. Her eyes widen a bit as she felt threatened for some reason.

Detonix smirks, "My team is what now, Iris? You didn't finish, mate.".

Ashen looks at Iris and says, "Is something wrong Ir-". He suddenly pauses as well, looking at Detonix slowly with wide eyes.

Anna shrugs at the two and says, "Okay, you two are acting wei-". She also freezes mid-sentence, her eyes widening in terror while staring at Detonix.

The Scrafty laughs deceitfully. "Hahaha! You lots! You fell for my ability!" She yells with pride.

"Intimidate..." Iris and Ashen say, trembling slightly. Anna's body shakes as well before being struck with an idea.

"Hey Iris and Ashen. She may have weakened our physical attacks but she didn't weaken our special ones." Anna says. Iris and Ashen look at her with brief confusions.

"Yeah. You're right, actually: Intimidate only lowers our physical moves, not our special." Iris catches on, smiling. "Thanks for the reminder, Anna."

Anna smiles back. "No problem. After all, I do have Flamethrower so I should be good, anyway."

"Um ladies? Would hate to break the analysis thing for ya but Detonix is heading right toward our-" Ashen gets interrupted by Detonix's Brick Break, gasping while the attack connects with his face. "...direction..." He's then blown away and crashes against the ship's wall, groaning in pain.

Detonix grins sinisterly while Iris slashes her unexpectedly with her glowing light blue wings: Aerial Ace. "Argh!" Detonix yelps from the attack and backs away. She then looks up with a smirk, gripping her fist. "Not so much of a smart move to go for after I'd weakened your attack, ay?"

"Grr." Iris' snarls while preparing another Aerial Ace.

Meanwhile, Lucas remains in his passed out state. "No no. I ordered some Fryin' Ready Berries! Not no Berry Steak!" Lucas yells, swiping at nothing in the air. Anna and Iris look at him and sweatdrop, both thinking of the same word 'Really?'.

Detonix stares at Lucas, shaking her head. "Ah. How air-headed that Furret is. I suppose that I don't mind hurting him some more." She says while dashing toward the Furret's direction.

"Oh no you don't!" Anna wails. She smacks Detonix in the face before getting in front of Lucas. Detonix shrugs off the slap, not being affected by it and roundhouse kick Anna into another wall. The Ninetales slams against the wall and gasps, groaning in pain. She then struggles to return back on her feet while Iris soars down at Detonix with another Aerial Ace. Detonix's fist becomes veiled in an icy presence and counters the Aerial Ace attack with Ice Punch. The two moves collide and send the Pokemon away from each other.

"Huh?" Iris says, looking at her wings. She notices that one of them is now in a frozen state, no longer able to move. "What the hell!?"

"Oh look, I've successfully frozen your wing. How delightful of the rarity, mate." Detonix laughs deviously, preparing another Ice Punch. "But the wing isn't the only thing I want frozen." She leaps out in the air and comet herself at Iris' direction. "It's your body!"

Anna whimpers and cries out, "Iris, no!".

The Dragonite notices the Ice Punch and grabs Detonix's fist, wincing at the freezing element of the attack. "Get...off...of...my...ship. You selfish lizard shit!" Iris yells as she throws Detonix menacingly. Detonix lands on the ground swiftly before being hit by a streaming loads of red-orange flames coming from Anna's muzzle: Flamethrower. The Scrafty winces at the attack, causes her body to turn red. She's under a burn status!

"Aargh..." Detonix growls in pain while she takes the burn damage. Iris runs towards her, screaming in furious rage as her eyes glow dark blue and light blue. Anna notices the Dragonite's necklace glimmering brightly and blinks with a gasp.

 _Oh snap! Is she...about to use her Mixturing Move!?_ Anna thinks with a surprised look on her face. Iris' fist has a blazing yet icy presence around it, staring at the Scrafty with rage. Detonix looks back with horror and trembles.

"Oh sweet mother of Davy Jones's Locker, I...I didn't expect the fight to go like this..." She says with a whimper. "Th-This is what I get for trying to steal loot from another's ship...Guess this might be the end for me..." Detonix closes her eyes, embracing the attack.

"Fire Ice Punch!" Iris shouts, her fist flaring with glaciering features while pursuing to strike Detonix but then...

She stops...

"Hmm?" Detonix opens her eyes slightly, noticing the Fire Ice Punch fading from Iris' fist. "Why did you stop?" Detonix asks, confusion flutter around her head.

Anna wonders the same thing before Iris speaks, "Because you're already defeated the moment you got the burn status. I've noticed the look on your face and how your team is unable to continue fighting. So there's no use for me to further increase your pain...unless you intend to catch me off guard by pretending to feel defeated." Detonix shifts uncomfortably. "Well, are you?" Iris questions the pirate-hat Scrafty with a glare, cracking her fist just in case.

Detonix blinks for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh and says, "No. You've won this fight, matey." She then winces and whines due to the burn damage still intact. "Wish I was born with Shed Skin like one of my crewmates right now. Hehehe..."

Iris thinks for a while then says, "Wait right here."

"Uhh, sure?" Detonix says confusedly. Iris goes inside of the ship's room for a moment then comes out with a blue-ish colored berry. "Hmm?" Detonix looks at the held berry, curiosity furthers her confusion.

"It's a Rawst Berry. It'll cure your burn status." Iris says while handing the berry to Detonix. Detonix takes the berry in her hand and stares at the Dragonite, blinking in disbelief.

"Um...thank you...Iris...You know, this isn't like the last time we've battled each other...I mean, our last fight wasn't all nice at the end like this one..." Detonix pauses for a moment to glance at the berry. "...Because this one is treated like a sportsmanship, mate..." Iris stares down at the Scrafty, starting to understand her point. "Although, I would like to ask you this..." Detonix says before taking a bite off from the berry, swallowing it in relief.

"And what's that question exactly?" Iris raises her brow.

Detonix's body slowly fades to its regular color as she replies, "Why did you give me this berry, mate? After all the trouble I've caused ya today, you could've easily left me under the status and threw me across the seas.". Detonix chuckles slightly from what she said.

"...It's because I'm not heartless. I may look insensitive, ruthless and malevolent but I'm not exactly that. To be honest, I would hate to see my opponent get themselves beaten to death or remain injured throughout their life." Iris says with courage, gripping her fist. "Unless again, they want to continue the fight and end up potentially dead, hmm?"

Anna looks at Iris shockingly. Detonix blinks before closing her eyes and revealing a smirk, saying, "I see then. I admit defeat and sorry about the mayhem I've caused...including your allies I've beaten." She looks at Ashen and Lucas, the two remaining in their unconscious state.

"It's fine. I'm used to random attacks from another Pokemon, especially the ones that are my rivals." Iris says with a grin. "And besides, I've gotten a goal to achieve. So it's best if you don't get in my way all that much, not unless you want to come along and help."

"Ha. I'll make sure to keep that in mind, Iris." Detonix says. "And by the way, does yer crew look alright, mate? They seemed quite beaten up...". The Scrafty laughs nervously with a sweat being on the side of her face. "Again, my apologies for that..."

Iris turns around and shrugs awkwardly while saying, "You don't say...". The two Pokemon then finally begins to wake up from their unconscious state.

"U-Ugh...what happened?" Lucas asks. "Are my Fryin' Ready Berries cooked?"

Iris shakes her head in disapproval while Anna smacks Lucas on the back of his head angrily. "No you idiot! We were attacked by pirates!" Anna says, glancing at the Furret.

Lucas looks around alertly after he was smacked, "Huh!? Where!?". Anna sighs heavily as she facepaws. Iris and Detonix look at each other then laugh afterwards.

"Silly crewmates?" Iris says with a smirk.

"Tell me about it." Detonix rolls her eyes sarcastically.

One of the Scraftys starts to wake up and says, "You're still a traitor, boss...". Detonix and Iris look at the Scrafty on the other ship.

"Oh hush up, boy. You'll forgive me like none of this never happens, anyway." Detonix grins.

Soon, the pirate-hat Scrafty ends up on her ship with her crewmates, waving goodbye to Iris and her crew. "Bye! Hope to see you again!" Lucas shouts cheerfully. He then blinks cutely, looking confused and turning toward the Ninetales. "Wait, who in the world was that lady again?" Anna rolls her eyes and blows flames onto the dragon's frozen wing.

"There." Anna says as she stops blowing. Iris tests out her wings and sees them functioning fine and dandy.

"Thanks for unfreezing them, Anna." Iris says, sighing in relief.

"No problem, Iris." Anna replies back with a smile forming across her face. She goes to stare at the Pirate Sea, the sun remaining up with its shining sunrays. "Iris...what you did back there...with the whole berry thing, was..."

"Hmm?" Iris looks at Anna with curiosity.

"...Was pretty mature of you to do, not gonna lie..."

"Oh. Well, she looked weak enough to get herself killed so that's why I stopped my attack." Iris shrugs. "I mean, despite putting all my rage and anger into the attack...something tells me to stop."

"I see. Well, that's understandable to do, I suppose." Anna shrugs as well, still looking at the ocean. After a couple of minutes of awkward silence, she turns to face Iris. "It's odd though...Knowing that you're more of a vengeful person but really kind hearted on the inside...". Iris doesn't say anything. She just remains quiet, glancing at her reflection from the aquatic water. Anna begins to feel concern about the Dragonite and continues speaking, "N-Not like it's a bad thing or anything! It's just that...well...". Iris still remains quiet. "I-I mean...c-come on Iris! You know what I mean, r-right?"

"Anna...I suggest you stop talking to me and wait for our destination to Noctis Village." Iris says with a vexed tone, glaring at the Ninetales slightly. Anna is about to open her mouth but decides not to and continues staring at the ship's sailing direction. Then later on, Ashen sees a seaport with some houses and Pokemon from a distance. He also notices a big sign saying 'Welcome to Noctis Village' next to the port.

"Hey guys! We've made it to Noctis Village." Ashen says excitedly. Anna looks at Iris with a smug expression.

"How about now?" The Ninetales says. Iris glares at her with a sweatdrop.

"Oh shut it, Anna!" The Dragonite sighs heavily while the Ninetales giggles. "And finally I can get down to business with a special friend of mine."

"Alright alright! I'm calling dibs on the hot shower, brother!" Lucas says to Ashen. Ashen looks at him with one eyebrow being raised.

"Uh, no. I call dibs for the shower." Ashen says in a demanding tone.

"No! I called dibs first, mate!"

"Oh yeah?"

As the two Pokemon fight over the use of the shower, Anna stares at Iris and thinks to herself, _Iris, I know that vengeance doesn't make you proud...You want more than just that...I know you do..._

 _End of Chapter 2._


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Time for another chapter, guys! And um...yeah. Hope you enjoy reading this one if you enjoy reading the previous one. Chapter 4 will come out somewhere next week. Without further ado, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Trouble in the Noctis Forest Part 1.**

Hidden beyond the lush trees and the blossoms of the forest, lies the Noctis Village in plain sight. The village is filled with Pokemon of unique typings and appearances, with there being some few simple houses and a shop next to one of them. At the seaport, three bipedal pig-like creatures with constant flames covering their necks and shoulders are guarding the entrance to the port. They're known as Emboars, all wearing a blue uniform with two spears as its symbol. As they stand guard, the first Emboar stares sternly at the sea while the second yawns in boredom and the third sniffs his own armpits.

Within the village itself are three Pokemon being near the forest. The first being a blue canine-like creature with black legs, black torso, has a black 'mask', stands on twos and has red eyes: Riolu. The second being a slate gray fox-like creature with a large tuft of fur, greenish blue eyes with red eyelids, and stands on fours: Zorua. And lastly, the third also being a blue bipedal canine-like creature with a round spike on her chest and forepaws, cream-colored fur on her torso, has a medium length blue tail, and red eyes: Lucario.

The Riolu and Zorua chase each other in an playful and exciting manner, with the Lucario watching them in delight. Then the two stop running, the Riolu falling onto the Zorua during the process and they both laugh happily. "Had fun, you two?" The Lucario asks, smiling at them.

"We sure did, sis!" The Riolu exclaims, smiling with glee. The Zorua looks at him with a smirk.

"Yeah. Mark isn't very good at tag, though. But that's what makes it more fun!" The Zorua says, giggling as Mark pouts.

"Oh come on, Natalie! You know I can't keep up with you!"

"That's why it's fun, you _slowpoke_." Natalie giggles some more while Mark blushes and pouts again. He gets off of her afterwards as the Lucario walks toward the two.

"Alright, time to head to the Berry Shop. I heard that they're giving away Oran berries for free today." The Lucario says, licking her lips while closing her eyes in satisfaction. "I would love to taste those berries right now. Been loving them since mother gave them to me for the first time. Mmm, mmm." She then stares back at the two Pokemon. "Wouldn't you guys want a taste of its deliciousness, too?"

Natalie pouts. "But I rather explore the Noctis Forest than to eat right now, Carrie!" She fusses. "It sounds like a cool and fun place! Can we? Please? Pleaaase?" Natalie nuzzles against Carrie's leg, pleading.

"Natalie, you know that forest is dangerous, right?" Carrie, the Lucario, says as she points to a sign that's on a random tree. It says 'Warning: This forest can be chaotic. Be aware and be prepare. Adults are highly advised to be with their child when entering.' "I don't want you to get hurt, dear. So no."

"But I wanna take a peek, Carrie!"

"Natalie, come on. You know better." Carrie folds her arms in response to Natalie's pleas, eyeing at the Zorua. "Plus, I believe there's a group of angry Houndooms that dislikes us villagers." Natalie lowers her eyebrows, becoming angry.

"But I don't care about those Houndooms! I wanna explore the forest! Please!?" Natalie pleads.

"Natalie, no means no. I'm not going inside of that forest, even if that's the last thing I'll do."

"Fine! Then I'll go by myself!"

"N-Natalie!" Mark cries out worriedly. Carrie sighs heavily, glancing at the Zorua.

"Hey! I'm the adult here, missy! So get your behind over here right now or no Oran berries for you!" Carrie argues. Natalie squints her eyes and groans, sighing as she closes her eyes to show defeat.

"Okay, fine." Natalie says, rolling her eyes while walking toward the Lucario. Carrie and Mark sigh in relief, the Lucario unfolding her arms with a smile spreading across her face.

"Alright, that settles it then. Onto the berries we go!" She says to the Zorua proudly.

Mark looks at Carrie and sweatdrops. "Do you always have to be this excited about eating berries?" He asks with a bit of voice crack.

"Yes, brother. Oran berries are THAT tasty to me, honestly." Carrie giggles softly to the question, smiling warmly to herself. As the two Pokemon turn around and head to the shop, Natalie stops within her tracks and smirks as she looks at the forest.

 _Ha! I can do whatever I want! No one can tell me what I can or cannot do!_ She thinks before dashing off to the forest.

"Hmm?" Carrie stops.

"What is it, Carrie?" Mark says, looking at her with confusion lining his face. Carrie turns around and gasps after realizing that the Zorua is no longer in her sight.

"Natalie! Oh come on!" Carrie jumps up and down, stomping the ground multiple times as if she's trying to create a earthquake. Mark blinks, his face filled with worriedness.

"C-Carrie! Calm down! We can find her in the forest."

"But that girl just doesn't know how to listen!" Carrie continues stomping.

"L-Look, sis. It's better to go find her right now th-than to causing an r-ruckus." Mark trembles, shrugging nervously. Carrie stops and looks around, noticing a group of Pokemon eyeing at her and Mark. She laughs nervously while scratching the back of her head.

"Sorry about that, folks. Just had a...bit of a temper tantrum, that's all. Hehe..." Carrie smiles, forming a sweatdrop as she's being stared by three bell-shaped plant Pokemon. The first has a gaping mouth and a leaf with a long, brown yellow-tipped vine covering the mouth: Victreebel. The second has two leafs being on either side of its body: Weepinbell. And the third has a stem-like brown body with leafs for hands: Bellsprout.

"Ma'am, try not to scare my kids with your behavior next time." The Victreebel says firmly. The Weepinbell and the Bellsprout hide behind the Victreebel in fear. Carrie looks at the three and sweatdrops.

"My apologies about my behavior, ma'am. It won't happen again, hehe..." Carrie says awkwardly, shrugging. The Victreebel glares at her before shaking her head in response.

"Hmph!" She huffs, hopping away while the Weepinbell and the Bellsprout follow closely. Everyone else returns back to their business.

Carrie sighs and looks at Mark, her face surrendering to sorrow as she speaks, "Brother, Natalie seems to never listen to me. I mean, I thought I would be responsible enough as an adult to take care of her..." She looks at the forest, whimpering. "I guess that's not the case..." The Lucario then lets out another sigh.

Mark holds her hand and says, "It's alright, sis. She's like this ever since we first met her."

Carrie looks back at her little brother. "But it sucks being both the older sibling and an adult. You gotta watch over your 'child' and worry about other important things such as Pokedollars and jobs and finding a home and more..." She fusses, shaking her head. "And after seeing Natalie ran off like that and the way I reacted...I'm not responsible enough." She stares down at her hand. "I'm not a mature adult..." Carrie then sniffles, a tear sliding down her face.

Mark pouts and shakes his head. "Don't say that, sis! I may not know much about being an adult, but I do know that giving up isn't the option no matter what!" Mark creates a fist and smiles at Carrie. "I know that you can do it, sis! I always believe that you can!"

Carrie blinks at the Riolu in surprise, receiving an vast memory of Mark saying those exact phrases when he was younger and smaller. "You know, for a kid that gets easily nervous and scared, I'm quite stunned that you gave me that advice. Thanks, Mark." Carrie says, softly forming a gleeful smile.

"No problem, si-H-Hey, wait a second!" Mark blushes from the comment as Carrie giggles gently.

"Alright then. Let's go find Natalie together." The Lucario looks at the forest, determination spreading across her face.

"Right." Mark nods. He pulls Carrie's hand instantly to make her follow him.

"Whoa!" Carrie says while being tugged by her brother. She follows the Riolu into the Noctis Forest, the two beginning to call out for Natalie's name.

Deep within the forest, Natalie sprints and sprints till she stops to admire the place around her. "Whoa..." She says, perplexed by its view. Rays of light squeeze through the tall, shady trees while various Dark and Bug type Pokemon crawl and slither and creep within the forest. "Wow, this looks amazing. Why would this place be considered dangerous?" Natalie smiles gleefully. "If any, it's entertaining to wander around so far." She then starts hearing voices nearby her, looking to her left. "Hmm?"

In curiosity, she goes to investigate the voices and sees six dark, purple squid-like creatures with yellow irises and wavy 'hairs': They're known as Malamars. Natalie decides to move closer to these creatures but stays hidden from them within the bushes.

"Alright boys. You remember what Misstrike told us, right?" The first Malamar asks, looking at the others.

"Of course, sir. She told us to find two body parts for our master." The second Malamar answers with a firm tone.

"And after we find those parts, we'll go back to the Corrupted Realm and revive him." The first Malamar clenches his scythe-like hand. "That way, we can recreate this world with his ideal and image he'd thought of a long time ago..."

Natalie tilts her head due to confusion and thinks, _Two body parts? Corrupted Realm? And something to deal with recreating the world? ...What?_

The first Malamar continues speaking. "Master and his followers may have failed to succeed their goal before. But this time-" The Malamar lifts his arm in the air. "It will be different, for we will help our master's goal become a reality!" The six Malamars cheer in joy. "Now let's go find those body parts. I believe Misstrike told us that one of the parts is around here somewhere."

Natalie blinks, beginning to feel worried. _I don't know what they're doing but it doesn't sound anywhere close to good. I gotta get out of here and fast._ She thinks before backing away from the Malamars. During so, she accidentally steps on a twig, causing it to snap. The cracking noise makes the Malamars turn to the bushes instantly. _Whoops!_

"Hmm?" The Malamars wonder.

"Seems like someone is watching us." The third Malamar says. His arm starts to glow dark pink as he looks at the first Malamar. "Shall I, sir?" The first Malamar looks at him and nods firmly. The third then glances back at the bushes and uses Psycho Cut, sending a dark pink wave to blow the bushes away. Natalie's cover is blown and even though she's immune to the Psychic type attack, she still flinches at the intense wind forming from it. Natalie then notices the Malamars spotting her, whimpering.

"I-I w-was l-looking f-for s-something." She stutters, shaking in fear. The first Malamar shakes his head.

"Little Zorua, as if we're stupid enough to fall for that sad excuse of a lie, we know that you weren't really looking for something."

"L-Look! I promise that I-I won't tell a-anyone about y-you guys' plans!" Natalie says, continuing to shiver. "J-Just please, don't hurt me!"

"Sorry little Zorua, but that's not how it goes. If you're not one of us, then you're a goner. Simple as that." The second Malamar says with a evil grin. Natalie gulps, backing away slightly.

"Oh don't worry, we'll give you a 10 second head start." The first Malamar says with a smirk. "In fact, I'll start counting right now. 1...2..." Natalie immediately turns around and runs. "4-5-10!" The Malamar suddenly summons several big rocks from the ground and uses Rock Slide on Natalie. The attack hits the ground near the Zorua, causing her to get blown away. She hits her back against a tree, yelping from the impact. She lands on the ground and looks up, noticing the Malamars heading at her direction like deranged serial killers.

She scrambles to her feet and runs away from them. "Help! Somebody help me!" Natalie screams while dashing away. She notices a rock crash next to her and looks behind her, seeing the first Malamar flinging more rocks at her direction. She dodges them and continues onward.

In the not-so deep part of the forest, Carrie and Mark continue roaming around the place while yelling out Natalie's name once more.

"Natalie! Natalie, where are you!?" Carrie calls, anxiety spreading across her face.

"Natalie!" Mark shouts as well. He looks around the area, noticing the light behind him is gradually fading away. This causes him to shake in fear and gets close to Carrie. "S-Sis, she probably returned back to the village and hid from us this whole time." Carrie looks at him with a tiny sweat on the side of her face.

"Really now?" She asks. "There's no way she'll do that, Mark. Once she does something, she sticks with it until something else happens. You should know Natalie by now."

"Y-Yeah b-but still, i-it could be a p-possibility."

"Relax, bro. At least you have me by your side." Carrie pats the Riolu on the head. "Plus you've motivated me to keep going no matter what. Have some confidence in yourself." She smiles.

Mark looks up at Carrie shyly, clinging close to her. "I-I suppose so…"

"Now it's not like Natalie is in danger or anything."

"Help! Somebody, please!" Natalie's voice cries out from the distance, catching the two Pokemon's attention. They are shocked to hear her voice in such terror.

Mark looks at Carrie with concerns and says, "Y-You were saying?". Carrie laughs nervously, scratching the back of her head before dashing off to the side. Mark blinks from the sudden run and follows her. "Hey! Wait for me!"

"Natalie! Natalie, I'm coming!" Carrie yells, jumping over bushes and swinging on tree branches. Mark soon stops by a random tree and pants heavily, his hands being on his knees.

"Oh...my...can't...keep...up..." He says, huffing and puffing. After few minutes, he proceeds to follow his sister. "Wait up, sis!"

Carrie bolts ahead while looking around. _Come on Natalie, where are you?_ She thinks.

Natalie continues to run, dodging multiple Rock Slides along the way. She then hears Carrie's voice calling her name nearby. "C-Carrie?" She says, slowly beginning to form tears. "Carrie!" The Zorua dashes quickly to the Lucario's voice. Carrie hears her name being called and runs faster.

 _She's close!_ The Lucario thinks.

"Natalie!"

"Carrie!"

Natalie turns to her side and sees Carrie. She launches toward the Lucario as the Lucario catches her. Carrie spins around for a moment while hugging the Zorua, nuzzling her worriedly. Mark catches up to the two and pants. "My goodness you're fast, sis!" Mark says while catching his breath. "I wish I could run as fast as you!"

Carrie looks at Natalie and notices the amount of tears being shed. "I-I'm so sorry, Carrie. You were r-right about this forest!" Natalie says, whimpering. "We need to get out of here! Now!" Carrie blinks at her, raising her brow in curiosity.

"Huh? What's with the sudden 'I wanna get out' now?" She questions.

"I-It's just that..." Natalie grits her teeth and closes her eyes. "I've encountered these evil group of Malamars who wanted to recreate the world and ever since I've heard about their plans, they want to kill me!" Natalie cries out and sheds some more tears.

"Recreating...the world?" Carrie looks to the side, confused at the scenario. Then Mark notices something in front of the two and gasps.

"Carrie! Natalie! Look out!" He yells.

"Huh!?" Carrie then sees a boulder aiming at her and Natalie. Natalie leaps off from the Lucario as the Lucario creates a long bone in her paw and slashes the boulder in half: Bone Rush. As the Zorua lands on the ground, the three notice the six Malamars appearing right before their eyes.

Natalie scurries behind Carrie and says, "Th-That's them! Those are the crazy Malamars I was talking about!". Carrie looks at the Zorua trembling in fear before staring at the Malamars sternly. Mark looks at Natalie and lowers his brow, folding his arms. Natalie looks back and sighs.

"Who are you guys and why are you after my child?" Carrie questions the Malamars, still wielding her bone. The first Malamar begins to speak.

"First off, that was rude of the Zorua to call us 'crazy'."

"Th-That's because you are!" Natalie exclaims, interrupting the Malamar.

"Hmph, and secondly, the name is Alro. Who we are is none of your concerns. Now we just want that Zorua of yours' dead and move on with our lives."

Carrie frowns at Alro, the first Malamar. "You say that yet you're willing to tell us your name." The Lucario states, putting her foot in front of her in a battle pose. "You're also not going to kill my child! Not by a long shot!" She glares sternly at Alro and his lackeys. Alro looks at the Malamars before laughing loudly.

"Your Zorua knows about our-"

"Plans? I figure because she told me." Carrie says, interrupting Alro. "In fact, I wanna know about this 'plan' of yours. 'Recreating the world'? What do you mean by that?"

Alro smirks. "It's exactly what it means: Destroy this one only to renew it. And in that new world, _he_ will be our lord and savior. The creator of everything he's dreamt of."

" _He_?" Carrie looks at Alro in a confusing manner.

"I've said enough. You three will have to die now."

Alro and the other Malamars' arms glow dark pink, Carrie staring at them in shock. "What!?" She snarls while Natalie and Mark back away. "You two, go call for help while I handle these guys." Mark shakes his head instantly.

"No! I won't leave you here to fight them by yourself!" He says worriedly. Carrie turns around and grits her teeth.

"Just do it!"

"But-"

"Carrie! Look out!" Natalie yells. Carrie notices several dark pink waves heading at her direction and forms a clear barrier around herself: Protect. The waves hits the Protect, causing it to wear off afterwards. Then Alro and his goons dash after her, Carrie creating two bones and rush towards them. Soon, she hits the second, third and fourth Malamars with Bone Rush and tries to swing at Alro but gets slapped in the face by his tendril hand. She rolls around the ground before immediately getting back up, seeing Alro grinning while the other three goons return back to their feet.

"I see that you have skills." Alro snickers. "Might want to keep that skill up when dealing with us." Alro looks at the Malamars behind him, tilting his head quickly at the Riolu and Zorua. The Malamars nod and dash toward the two Pokemon.

"Oh no you don't!" Carrie exclaims. She runs at the five and jumps towards them. Mark and Natalie hug each other, shivering and yelping at the five heading their way. Carrie then kicks the second Malamar in the head, causing him to collide with another and they all fall like dominoes. Carrie lands swiftly on the ground as the bones fade away. She takes her eyes on the two younglings, getting on her knee. "Are you two alright?" She asks worriedly. The two Pokemon nod at Carrie and she sighs in relief. "Good. I'm afraid that it's not over yet so let's get out of here before-" She's cut-off by a sudden gasp, dark pink outline forming around her body. "R-Run."

Carrie is then jerked toward a tree behind her, slamming against it with brute force. She lets out a scream, causing Mark and Natalie to gasp.

"Carrie!" The two yell. They turn their attention toward Alro, noticing his eyes glowing dark pink. He's using Psychic on the Lucario, restraining her against the tree as he laughs.

"Oh don't worry. You two will join her shortly." He says with a evil grin. Mark makes a fist and lowers his eyebrows.

"L-Leave my sister alone, y-you jerk!" Mark yells out angrily, running towards the Malamar without a second thought. His paw glows yellow as he jumps in the air and aims at Alro: Force Palm. Alro glances at him and smirks.

"Nice try, kid. But you'll wish that I was a pure Dark type." Alro comments while using his other arm to send a Psycho Cut at Mark.

"Huh!?" The Riolu gets hit by the attack and crashes into another tree, resulting to him being knocked out. Natalie looks at Mark and gasps.

"Mark!" She cries out. Carrie notices her brother being unconscious and struggles to get out of Alro's Psychic.

"No! Mark!" She shouts, continuing to be restrained. "Natalie, run while you still can! Please!" Natalie nods, terror widening her eyes as she instantly tries to run away but is stopped by the sixth Malamar. The Malamar's arm glows dark red and smacks the Zorua in the face with massive force: Superpower. She flies towards Mark due to the attack and lands next to him, crying out in pain.

"Natalie!" Carrie slowly forms tears after seeing her younglings being injured, striving to escape from the Psychic's grasp. She glares at Alro angrily while he laughs insanely, the five Malamars surrounding the Riolu and Zorua. Carrie snarls at Alro. "You monster! Let us go right now!" She demands. Alro stops laughing and looks at Carrie darkly.

"We'll let you go...when you're dead, of course!" He says and laughs once more. Soon, the other Malamars begin to laugh along. All have gone mad with laughter before Alro looks at the two younglings. "Alright boys. Find a strong vine and tie them up. We'll do a little bit of torturing before giving them their fates."

The goons look at Alro and yell, "Yes sir!". The sixth Malamar goes to find a vine while the other four grab the two Pokemon and pin them against the same tree Carrie is at.

"No! Let me go!" Natalie screams and tries to get out of the Malamar's grasp.

Carrie growls at Alro. "You'll pay for this, you freak!" She says, her eyes full of rage. Alro and the others continue laughing in insanity as Natalie tears up.

"Someone...please...HELP US!" Natalie screams from the top of her lungs, her eyes filled with continuous tears as the sixth Malamar comes with a vine in hand and walks towards the three.

Somewhere in the forest, lies a blue beetle-like creature with yellow, oval eyes and a long, pronged horn. He's a Heracross, wearing a red scarf around his neck while seemingly having his mouth against the tree. He's drinking something from the tree, humming quietly in joy. Then he withdraws from it and sighs in relief. "Ain't nothing like a good ol' sap drinking. Mmm. Mmm." The Heracross says with a laugh. "I can drink more of it if I wanted to. But I gotta conserve or else I'll become fat enough to not fight. Heh heh."

The Heracross then walks away from the tree and hears Natalie's voice calling from afar. He stops immediately, blinking confusedly. "Hmm?" He says with curiosity. He hears her voice again and scratches the side of his head before looking off to the side. "Hmm...seems like someone is calling for help." He grins and shrugs. "Guess I don't mind going back to my good ol' rescuing days." He then starts running to the voice's location. "Don't worry, voice that's calling for help! I'll be to the rescue!" The Heracross yells heroically. He continues dashing off until he's no longer visible.

Back at the Noctis Village, the Dragonite ship docks at the seaport. The three Emboars look at the ship, one stops dozing off as they all walk toward it. The ship's ladder comes down and reaches the port. Out of the ship is Iris and her crew.

"Welcome to the Noctis Village, visitors." The first Emboar greets them firmly. Iris sighs in relief.

"Finally, we're here! And thanks for the greeting." She says eagerly. The Emboars aid Iris and the others off the ship as Anna admires the scenery of the village, gasping at it.

"Wow, this looks amazing for a village!" She says happily. Ashen and Lucas look around the area, astonished at its decent view as well.

"Cool! They're selling Oran berries for free!" Lucas mentions, catching his eyes at the shop. His face lighting up with joy.

Ashen looks at the Furret. "Well don't just stand there, bro. Go ahead and get one." Ashen says with a smile.

"Sure thing!" Lucas replies as he runs to the berry shop.

"Make sure to get 3 more for the rest of us!" Anna yells out, giggling afterwards. She then looks at Iris, noticing the stern look on her face.

"Is something bothering you, Iris?" Anna asks, tilting her head a bit.

"Nothing. Just expecting someone." Iris answers. She glances around the village, eyeing at each corner. "Where are you...Ego..."

 _To be continued…_

 _End of Chapter 3._


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Quick Note: This is a long chapter so I would recommend reading this chapter during your spare time indeed. But if you wanna read it right now then do so, please. I know that it's late but happy Thanksgiving to you all and I hope you enjoyed it like I had. Without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Trouble in the Noctis Forest Part 2.**

Alro and the 5 Malamars tie the three against the tree. They laugh at the them, tormenting them with their cruel words.

"Alright alright. We've insulted them enough. Now it's time for the real fun of torture to begin." Alro says, grinning deviously. Carrie rolls her eyes.

"I thought the real fun already began." She says.

"Oh those were just the warm-ups, silly." Alro looks around and picks up a sharp stick, lust for pain widening his lips as he glances at the Lucario insanely. "Now then, you and your kids can take this affliction like the good Pokemon you are. Heh heh heh..."

Alro slowly slides the sharp stick across Carrie's body while the Malamars chuckle. Carrie shivers as it touches her skin. "Stop." She says angrily. Alro continues sliding the stick, gashing Carrie's smooth leg. Carrie grits her teeth at the Malamar. "I said stop!" Soon, Mark and Natalie become furious.

"Hey! Leave my sister alone, you jerk!" Mark says. "If she says stop, that means stop!"

"Yeah!" Natalie says, growling at Alro.

Alro stops and looks at the two Pokemon. His face slowly dements, looking even more sinister than the last. "I think we should torture those two first, sir." The second Malamar says.

Alro withdraws the stick from Carrie. "Sure. They need to learn why they shouldn't talk back to adults." Alro positions the stick in front of Mark and Natalie. He turns the stick right to left. "Eeny. Meeny. Miny. Moe." The Malamar says, pointing the stick at Mark. "You'll go first."

"Wh-What!?" The Riolu jumps, feeling scared from being chosen. "Wh-Why me!?" Alro grins, having the stick close to the side of Mark's face.

"Because you're the one that stood up for your sister. Might as well take the pain, too." Alro says and laughs. Mark slowly looks at Carrie, shaking in fear.

"C-Carrie." Mark tears up slowly.

"Mark!" Carrie cries out. She then looks at Alro. "Please, don't do this." Alro looks back, still having the stick against Mark.

"Witnesses are a pain in the ass when it comes to discovering something they weren't supposed to know, girl." Alro says, moving the stick towards Mark's leg. "Now let's start from scratch, shall we?"

Mark lets out a small yelp. "N-No, plea-" Then the stick pierces his right leg, causing him to scream. He feels Alro driving the stick into his leg with no effort, crying in pure pain. Natalie tears up as Carrie grows infuriated by the action.

"Mark, no!" Natalie and Carrie yell. Mark tries to pull his leg from the stick but that only increases the pain further.

"Stop! It hurts!" Mark cries, tears streaming down from his eyes.

"You monster! Stop it! Stop it right now!" Carrie demands. She growls at the Malamar as he continue pressing the stick. Then, Alro stops and pulls the stick out, blood covering it. Mark sniffles as his leg leaks out red liquid.

"Aww. So sad to see a poor creature like you get hurt. But I have no choice." Alro says with a smug look on his face. "Alright. Next up is you." He points the stick at Natalie's face, the stick dripping a bit of blood. She stares at it, horrified from its view.

"N-No. Not me. Pl-Please, not me!" Natalie says with a tear sliding down her face. Alro lifts her chin up with the stick. The Malamars behind him continue to laugh and torment.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't hurt you the same way I hurt the Riolu." He says with a grin. He positions the stick towards Natalie's ear. "Let's get those eardrums damaged. You'll struggle to hear your friends ever again." Natalie gasps as Carrie tries to get out of the strong vine once more.

"No! Don't you dare hurt her!" Carrie yells fiercely.

"Or what? You'll be next anyway. So enjoy seeing them suffer while you can."

Carrie snarls before Alro stabs Natalie in the ear, laughing as he hears her scream in pain. "Natalie, no!" Carrie cries out, still trying to get out of the vine's grasp. Alro withdraws the sharp stick and stabs Natalie's other ear, grinning widely. Natalie screams even louder, feeling more pain in that ear.

"It hurts! Aaah!" Natalie cries out, her eyes raining down tears. Then Alro soon pulls out the stick as more blood covers the tip of it.

Alro looks at the tip sadistically as Natalie's ears are slowly leaking out red liquid, her continuing to sob along the way. "Ah, such a lovely looking stick now. I hope the new world is like this kind of color: Red." Alro says with a smirk, tilting his head at the stick. "Because red...is the type of color that creates the most beautiful imagery I'd ever witness. And blood is being the perfect example of that." He then looks at Carrie, who is shaking her head in disbelief. "Now it's your turn, my darling." Carrie grits her teeth, showing raging fire in her eyes.

"You better not lay a single tentacle on me, you sick evil squid." Carrie says bitterly. Alro smirks, his fellow Malamars glancing at the three Pokemon, mostly the Lucario, in a psychotic way. Alro raises the bloody stick at Carrie's throat.

"Oh, relax. Your torture will end soon." Alro says, smiling. He pauses for a moment, only to lean forward against Carrie's face and lick the side of her cheek. Mark notices the lick and growls furiously. "Although, it pains me to kill you. Because you're such a beautiful looking Lucario. Like a flower blooming so elegantly after being taken care of for years and years...It would be a nightmare for me to waste that divine beauty of a flower. But you know, I can't have snitches roaming around and potentially screwing up our plans. And besides," Alro leans closer to the Lucario's ear. "You'll probably look even more beautiful in _red_." Carrie shivers from the lick and spits on the Malamar.

"When I get out, I'll tell everyone about this. Even the government." Carrie says, glaring at the Malamar. Alro wipes the saliva off from his face and chuckles quietly.

"No. You. Won't." Alro says. He slides the stick across her body then stops at her shoulder. He then stabs her shoulder instantly, leading her to scream in pain. "I love your screams too, by the way." Alro laughs as he pushes the stick forward. Carrie lets out a loud scream, feeling the pain on her shoulder increase.

Mark writhes, trying to get out of the vines. "Stop! Leave her alone!" Mark cries out furiously. Alro and the 5 Malamars laugh evilly as Carrie's scream grows louder and louder.

Somewhere in the forest, the red scarf Heracross runs through the area. He soon stops to hear Carrie's scream. "Hmm? That's a different scream...but it's coming from the same direction." The Heracross says, scratching the side of his face. "Strange...Is there more than one Pokemon needing help?" He blinks before sighing. "Guess I'll have to find out." The Heracross starts jumping from tree branch to tree branch, following the voice's location.

. . .

Meanwhile in the Noctis Village, Iris and the others are renting themselves a home to live in. Ashen, Lucas and Anna seem to be eating Oran berries while staring at Iris patiently. Iris herself is talking to a brown duck with a white underbelly and wielding a white stick that has the color green at the top: Farfetch'd. The Farfetch'd also has a whistle hanging around his neck as the Dragonite hands him something.

"Here's your 20 Pokedollars." She says, holding the money out in her hand. The green Pokedollars has a bald eagle-like Pokemon, Braviary, in the middle of it and dollar signs on the sides. The Braviarys are looking sternly to their right as they lift their heads up, much similar to how soldiers salute to their lieutenant.

"Thanks...um." The Farfetch'd says, looking up at Iris. He scratches the back of his head with his stick as the Dragonite looks down at him confusedly.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"Nothing. It's just that..." He coughs. "You're way taller than me..."

Iris becomes embarrassed by the comment and forms a sweatdrop by the side of her face. Ashen and Lucas begin bursting out laughing while Anna giggles softly. Iris glances at them and growls. "Oh hush up. Not my fault that I was bound to grow into a tall Pokemon." She says, rolling her eyes.

Anna stops giggling. "Sorry Iris but I got to say, that was quite funny to witness." She says, smiling as Iris sighs.

"Whatever." The Dragonite says. Ashen and Lucas stop their laughter as the dragon turns toward the Farfetch'd. She gets on her knees and leans her head closer to the duck Pokemon. "Sorry about our major size difference...Although, it is rude to call out someone's size like that."

"Haha...It's fine. And my apologies for mentioning that." The Farfetch'd says with a chuckle. "I sometimes have this happening to me whenever someone wants to rent a home. It becomes a bit nerve-wracking at times..."

"Huh. Why would you feel nervous around someone ridiculously taller than you?" Iris tilts her head curiously.

The Farfetch'd shrugs awkwardly. "For starters, a Pokemon about your size tried to eat me." Iris raises her brow.

"Really?"

"Yeah. She's a Haxorus and apparently couldn't hold in her hunger for 'preys' any longer." The Farfetch'd looks to the side and shivers uncomfortably. "Good thing the mayor saw her and called in backup to arrest her before almost gotten eaten." The Farfetch'd sighs in relief, sweatdropping. Iris scratches the back of her head.

"Yikes. I see then..."

The Farfetch'd takes the money off of the dragon's paw gently. "Well, at least something like that can be solved by me blowing a whistle for protection." He says, pointing at the whistle with his stick. "This village can have bizarre moments like that happening from time to time. With the forest Pokemon not taking a liking to our presence and larger Pokemon trying to eat me, things can get quite hectic around here. Heck, I wouldn't be surprised if one of the forest Pokemon decided to raid this village because of how much they don't like us."

"Huh. Guess it's good news that you have something to protect you, then." Iris proceeds onto her feet, the duck nodding at her before looking around his surroundings.

"Alright then. Enjoy your temporary stay, ma'am." He says gleefully.

"Thanks." Iris replies. The Farfetch'd nods and walks away, heading to another house that has a penguin's fin at the top, different from all the other houses. Iris looks at her crew and smiles in relief.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Ashen says happily. "Let's go inside!"

Lucas jumps in joy. "Yeah, mate!" He yells. He gives Ashen a high five and the two enter inside of the house. Anna looks at Iris and jerks her head to the side a bit.

"Let's see how the house looks on the inside." Anna suggests, smiling warmly.

"I guess I'll take a look before searching for Ego." Iris says with a shrug. The two Pokemon then walk inside with no hesitation.

The house itself has two rooms; One has two huge beds with golden swirls decorating the covers. The other is the bathroom, having shiny white tiles padding the floor and a single sink sits below a clear mirror. Lastly, a curtain is draped at the end of the home, covering what seems to be the window. The four Pokemon look around in amazement at the neat arrangements. "Wow, this looks amazing for this kind of environment." Ashen says with a smile.

"I know right?" Lucas replies in glee. The two Pokemon go to the beds and jump on them, laughing in joy. Anna giggles at the two.

"Quite a lovely home, isn't it Iris?" She says, turning her head towards the Dragonite. Iris nods.

"Yeah. It looks nice." The Dragonite agrees as she turns around. Ashen and Lucas race towards the bathroom.

"Hey, you lost the dibs!" Ashen says, shoving Lucas aside.

"But I wanted to try the hot shower!" Lucas whines. Ashen rolls his eyes. "Wait, I have an idea! How about we take the hot shower together?"

"What!? No! That sounds...weird." Ashen says, his face crinkled in disgust.

"Well it's either that or let me get in the hot shower first!" Lucas argues.

"But I won the rock-paper-scissors. Which means I won the chance to take a hot shower."

While Ashen and Lucas argue, Iris begins to walk towards the exit. Anna looks at her confusedly by her choice.

"Hmm? Where're you going?" She asks the Dragonite. Iris stops and turns her head slightly.

"Did you forget? I'm here to find someone, not to lay around." Iris answers firmly, staring back at her. Anna blinks at her before sighing.

"Oh. Right…" The Ninetales shrugs. "Well, I'm coming along anyway. Just to look out for you and what not." She sits down calmly and swifts her tails elegantly from left to right. "Should we bring Ashen and Lucas, too?"

"Well, they seem to be enjoying their time here...Kind of." Iris corrects herself with a shrug, pointing at the two Pokemon. Anna turns her attention towards the Linoone and Furret, the two continue their silly squabble.

She looks back at Iris and says, "Eh, they'll be alright. Let's go find this Ego guy you're talking about." Iris nods and walks out. Anna follows along but stops to turn her head towards the two Pokemon again. "Hey, you two watch over the house while me and Iris go looking for Ego, alright?" The two Pokemon stop and look at Anna. They stiffen themselves and put their arms by their sides like soldiers.

"You can count on us, ma'am!" Ashen and Lucas say. Anna giggles and walks outside with Iris.

As the two exit, they heard someone screaming. "Hmm?" The two say, looking around curiously.

"Did you hear that, Iris?" Anna asks.

Iris nods. "Yeah, I did."

The scream rings out again, loud enough for others to hear it. The villagers start to whispering to each other about it as Ashen and Lucas come outside.

"Hey, what was that just a second ago?" Ashen asks with his brow being raised. Iris looks at him.

"I don't know. I think that's what everyone's wondering right now." Iris answers.

As the four continue to chat about the situation, a penguin-like creature walks towards the four Pokemon with two Emboars. He has quite the regal look, navy blue steel affixed on his black and white 'coat' and trident prongs on his head that resembles a crown. An Empoleon, a name would fit for such a Pokemon. "Ahem." The Empoleon says, catching the four Pokemon's attention.

"Yes? What do you want?" Iris says in a rude tone.

"Ah, no need for rudeness, dear. I'm here to introduce myself to you and the other three, since I've never seen you four before." The Empoleon says humbly. "The name is Wyvern and I'm the mayor of this village." Wyvern holds out a flipper and Iris looks down at it.

"The name is Iris. That's Anna, the Furret is Lucas and the Linoone is Ashen. We're just travelers loving to see different places and such."

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you fellow travelers then, Iris." The Empoleon shakes the Dragonite's hand as the others greet him as well.

"So I'm guessing that you introduce yourself to any newcomers that arrive at this village?" Anna asks.

"Of course, my dear chap. It would be rude of me to not let those newcomers know who the mayor of this village is, after all." Wyvern answers.

"So why couldn't you introduce us when we first came here?" Ashen wonders. Wyvern looks at him.

"I was busy with paperworks. The government and I are quite involved with this village after all, haha. With numerous amounts of havoc appearing here and in the forest, too."

"Oh." Ashen scratches the back of his head. "Iris had a similar conversation with the Farfetch'd salesmen about that. Why is that the case?"

"Ah. Glad that you ask. Well you see," Wyvern pauses for a moment to look at the villagers staring at the forest. "Ever since this village has a deep relationship with the government, violence tend to occur here occasionally. Rather it be from the Pokemon in the forest or the visitors themselves." He notices a Bellsprout and Weepinbell clinging to a Victreebel, shaking out of their minds. "Throughout my years of being mayor here, I noticed the amount of fear built into my fellow villagers. So I attempted many, many times to tighten up the security here." Wyvern sighs and shakes his head melancholy. "But even then, I still witnessed fear being present within them."

Wyvern looks back at the group. "I'm a humble and fair person. So seeing fear within my villagers is the _opposite_ of fair to me." He says, forming a stern look on his face.

Iris and the others look at the Empoleon before looking at the villagers, noticing the concern look on their faces. _Living in constant fear of chaos because of governmental relationship...I feel bad for the villagers and the mayor here._ Iris thinks, glancing at the forest.

"Anyway, I suppose that you all heard the scream from the forest too, hmm?" The Empoleon asks, taking his eyes on them. Anna looks at Wyvern and nods.

"Yeah. I don't know what's happening in there but it's most certainly far from good, that's for sure." She replies.

"Hmm..." Iris wonders, continuing to glance at the forest while the others proceed to converse with each other. While that happens, someone lurks at the corner behind a house, black as a silhouette. The only thing distinguishable on them is a crown atop of their head as they watches Iris silently.

. . .

The red scarf Heracross jumps from branch to branch with haste. He pants heavily but never stops. "Come on. Let me hear you again so that I can find your location!" He says to himself.

Back with the Malamars, Alro just withdraws the blood covered stick from Carrie's other shoulder. He looks at the tip, admiring the amount of red liquid taking over the stick. He laughs evilly from the red site.

"I think our torture time is over." He says. "We can kill them now, boys." He drops the stick to the ground as the five Malamars prepare a Psycho Cut. Alro looks at the three with his tendril emits a dark pink light. Carrie pants, gritting her teeth in frustration as she looks at the six Pokemon in front of her. Mark and Natalie stares at the Malamars in shock and terror.

"N-No." Mark says. "I-I don't want to die!" Natalie tears up as Alro smirks.

The Malamars then laugh insanely, him and the others having their Psycho Cuts ready.

"No!" Natalie cries out. "No! Aahh!" Mark leans his head against Carrie's blood leaking shoulder and closes his eyes. Carrie closes hers too, wincing in pain from the contact.

As soon as the Malamars about to attack, the sixth Malamar gets kicked in the head. He crashes into a random tree and passes out. Alro and the four Malamars stop to look at their fallen comrade. Then they turn their attention to a scarfed Heracross, Alro lifting his brow at the Heracross' appearance.

"What a rude entrance. Who are you?" Alro asks in a calm manner. Natalie looks at the Malamars, wondering who they're staring at. Mark and Carrie open their eyes and gaze as well.

"What's going on...?" Carrie asks.

"I don't know..." Mark says, still leaning against Carrie.

The Heracross shifts his scarf a bit before speaking. "The name's Jimmy. I roam around this forest and make sure that there's no trouble. By doing so, I became an well known hero of the Noctis Forest. But you wouldn't know that since it's old news nowadays." Alro lift his head a bit, glaring at him.

"I see. I'm Alro and this is my business you're entering." Alro says firmly. Jimmy glances at him.

"And your business is to hurt innocent Pokemon?"

Alro grits his teeth."They barged into our plans. We had no choice but to annihilate them."

"Plans, eh?" Jimmy cracks his shoulder while narrowing his eyes at the Malamars.

"You just stay out of this, 'hero'."

"Make me." Jimmy creates a fist. Alro snarls at the Heracross before grinning instantly.

"Alright then." Alro lifts his arm up as dark pink aura forms around it. "Boys, kill this Heracross." The Malamars nod, preparing their Psycho Cuts.

"Yes sir!" The Malamars yell. Jimmy's pincer soon begins to glow white.

The Malamars fire off their Psycho Cuts. Jimmy's pincer suddenly stops glowing as he grins at the attacks. The Psycho Cuts then hit him, black smoke beginning to rise from the attacks as Alro smirks. "Well that was easy." The Malamar says. Natalie gasps.

"What's going on?" She yells. "All I heard was some voice saying its name and then a fight happens!" Carrie looks at Natalie.

"Natalie, we heard it too. And I'm not sure what's going on, neither." Carrie agrees. One of the Malamars looks at the smoke, noticing something unusual.

"Um sir." The third Malamar says. "The Heracross just _let_ us use our moves on him..."

"Huh...Now that I think about it...that was kind of weird." Alro replies curiously.

"What the heck!?" The second Malamar yells. Alro whips around to him.

"What?" He asks.

The Malamar points to the sky, leading Alro to find Jimmy in the air, arms glowing white. "What the hell!? He should've been killed by those Psycho Cuts! How did he-" Alro pauses for a moment to notice the red outline around Jimmy's body. _Endure..._ He immediately thinks. Natalie notices the Heracross in the sky.

"Huh? Is that the Pokemon the Malamars were looking at?" Natalie wonders, tilting her head a bit. Carrie and Mark stare at the Heracross as well.

"Seems like it, I guess." Mark says weakly. "But shouldn't those Psycho Cuts have knocked him out?" Jimmy falls closer to the Malamars.

"Well Mark, he use a move called Endure. It guarantees that a Pokemon can survive a move that could KO them." Carrie says. "The Heracross species can learn that move and so do a ton of other Pokemon."

"Oh."

Alro is about to use Psychic on the Heracross until Jimmy lands with a boom. The Malamars jump back, Jimmy dashing towards two Malamars and punches them. He turns and finds another heading at his direction. The Malamar throws down his arm, a white light emitting from it: Aerial Ace. Jimmy grabs the two Malamars and throws them toward the third. The third Malamar gets slammed by the two Malamars, having the three crash to the ground. Alro grits his teeth.

"Grr..." He snarls, looking at the Malamar next to him. "Don't just stand there! Attack him!" The second Malamar jumps and nods.

He dashes toward the Heracross and tries to use Psycho Cut on him until the Heracross lands a Close Combat him: The Heracross punches and kicks the Malamar all over the place. "Eek! Ah! Uff!" The Malamar cries. After several hits, Jimmy delivers a strong punch to the Malamar's face, sending him flying towards Alro. "Aaah!"

Alro tries to use Psychic to stop him but the move has no effect. "I forgot that my kind is immune to Psychic type mo-" He gets plowed into and slams against the ground before he could even finish his sentence.

Jimmy surveys the area, making sure nothing else is there. Then he looks at the three hostage Pokemon and runs toward them. Mark, Natalie and Carrie look at Jimmy as he unties them.

"Th-Thank you, sir." Natalie says, waiting to get out of the vine's grasp. Jimmy nods.

"No problem." Jimmy says as he cuts the vines out with a simple claw. The three Pokemon are free from the vine. Mark falls to the ground due to his injury as Natalie goes to aid him. Carrie stands on her legs, holding the wounds on her shoulders and wincing drastically.

"Ugh...finally, we're fr-free..." Mark says, trembling. Carrie looks at Mark and rushes to his aid, weeping more from her injuries.

"Are you okay!?" She asks.

"C-Carrie...m-my leg..." Mark looks, whimpering at his blood leaking leg. Natalie sniffles from seeing Mark injured then notices the drip from her ears.

"My ears..." Natalie says softly, shaking in fear. Carrie gazes at Natalie before staring back at her brother.

"Don't worry. I'll take us to the medics, alright?" Carrie says. Mark looks at Carrie, tears sliding down from his face.

"I don't want to die, Carrie."

"I know, Mark. And I'm going to make sure that you're not. Just hang in there."

Mark nods shakily as Carrie hugs him. He sniffles and cuddles against the Lucario, shaking in terror. Natalie huddles up along with the two, tearing up as well.

"I'll always protect you and Natalie. Even if everything you know and love is being taken away from us, I'll still be there to support you two. No matter what happens."

Everything becomes quiet for a moment before Jimmy speaks. "Um, I would hate to break your bonding moment but, um..." Carrie looks up at the Heracross, still hugging the two Pokemon.

"Oh. Uh...Who might you be again?" She asks, letting them go.

"The name is Jimmy, ma'am. You are?"

"Carrie. This is my little brother Mark and his friend, Natalie." She smiles. "Thank you for saving us, Jimmy."

"No problem. I am known for doing stuff like this after all." Jimmy says happily. He turns around and notices three of the Malamars getting up. "Although, don't thank me just yet." Carrie looks at him, forming a confused look on her face.

"Why would you say that?" She asks. Jimmy points at the Malamars. Carrie gives them a firm look. "Oh..."

The three Malamars glower at Jimmy, eyeing at him precisely. The Heracross forms a battle pose as the two younglings huddle close to Carrie. "Don't worry. I'll handle these evildoers." Jimmy says.

Carrie pets Natalie on the head. "No. I'll help you." She says to him. Mark clings to his sister.

"No! I don't want you to get hurt anymore!" Mark cries, the side of his face pressed against Carrie's stomach. Carrie looks down at the Riolu.

"Mark, I promised that I'll always protect you and Natalie. And I'm never breaking that promise, okay?" She says, patting the Riolu on the head. She looks at Natalie as she gets up. "Natalie, I want you to protect Mark for me, alright?" Natalie nods.

"O-Okay..." The Zorua says with a whimper, remaining by the Riolu's side. Carrie walks next to Jimmy, confidence and determination enlightening her will to fight as she glares at the Malamars. Mark tries to get up, wincing at the pain coming from his leg.

"No! Sis!" Mark yells, holding onto his leg. Natalie hugs Mark from behind, holding him back.

"No Mark. She'll be fine. Plus, you're hurt."

"But I wanna protect her Natalie! I...I don't want her to...get herself...killed..." Mark tears up as Natalie leans her head against his.

"I know how much you care about your sister. I know that she's the only family member you have left and I understand that. But she'll be fine...she's strong and brave after all." Natalie says, hugging the Riolu more. "I-It's my fault that I got us in this mess and...and she can get us out of it...like she always does." A tear slides down from Natalie's face. "I'm always the one giving you two trouble...Always..." Mark looks at Natalie.

"Natalie..." He says softly, feeling sorry for the poor Zorua.

Carrie and Jimmy continue having their eyes on the three Malamars.

"Now ma'am, are you sure about this?" Jimmy asks, being a bit cautious. "I mean, your shoulders is bleeding out...badly, no less."

"Oh yeah, I am indeed." Carrie says, cracking her neck and her fingers. "I haven't been in a fight since I was a little Riolu. And besides, those shoulder stabs doesn't hinder me from fighting, anyway. I can still move these move arms and such." She grins and giggles, the Heracross looking at her with concerns.

"I see then..."

The three Malamars float towards them quickly, preparing a Aerial Ace. Carrie's fist envelopes in red aura as she runs toward a Malamar and punches him in the face with Power-Up Punch. The Malamar flings toward a tree while screaming, crashing into it. The other two Malamars try to hit Carrie from behind but Jimmy gets in front of them, grabbing the two's arms.

"Huh!?" The two Malamars say. Jimmy smirks and slams the two into each other. He then jumps in the air and throws them both toward the ground. To the left side of the area, Alro pushes the second Malamar off from him and looks, seeing Carrie and Jimmy standing.

"Grr. You will not interfere with our plans! Not at all!" Alro yells as the second Malamar gets up. Carrie and Jimmy look at Alro, seeing him eyeing at the younglings. He smiles sadistically and floats toward the two, preparing a Aerial Ace. Carrie gasps at the action taking place.

"NO!" She yells and dashes towards Alro immediately. Jimmy looks at Carrie.

"Carrie, hold on!" He says. Suddenly, a Psycho Cut hits him and sends him crashing into another tree. "Gah!" He coughs, being covered in red outline. _Good thing I used Endure again..._ He thinks, looking at where the attack comes from. He sees the second Malamar grinning at him, preparing another one. He then sees three other Malamars behind him. A bead of sweat appears on the side of the Heracross' face as he's getting gang up on, gulping awkwardly. "Well...this is gonna take awhile."

Natalie and Mark notice Alro heading at their direction and cower. "Ah!" The two scream, hugging each other in fear. Carrie gets in front of the two and clashes her Power-Up Punch with Alro's Aerial Ace. Smoke begins to emit due to the impact.

Over at the Noctis Village, everyone hears the sound and begins to gossip about it.

"What was that!?" Ashen yells in confusion. Lucas shakes in fear as everyone else looks at the forest suspiciously.

"I don't know but I'm curious enough to find out myself." Iris says firmly, making a fist.

"I-I'm sure th-that nothing is wrong. I mean, come on mate." Lucas says. "If there was, a tree would be shooting at us right now."

Like magic, a tree blasts out of the Noctis Forest and falls towards Iris and the others. Iris gasps and pushes everyone out of the way. The other Pokemon in the village gasp as well. "Move!" She yells as the tree crashes to the ground. Wyvern, the two Emboars and Anna's eyes widen at the crashed tree. Everyone in the village seems to carry the same shock value as well. A bead of sweat runs down the side of Ashen's face while he looks at Lucas.

"W-Well, that was one tree. Not like multiple trees could be coming at us."

Now it's a spell. More trees shoot out of the forest and fall toward the seven Pokemon. Everyone scream for their lives.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me." Iris says. She uses her tail this time to move the six Pokemon to the side then flies towards the crashing trees and grabs all seven of them. She throws them all far across the sea and pants, landing back onto the ground. Iris looks at the Empoleon, sweatdropping. "Now I'm starting to see your point on this village having chaos appearing at random."

"Yeah…" Wyvern replies with an awkward shrug.

Everyone sighs in relief and thanks Iris for saving them all. "Oh it was nothing, really." She says proudly.

Lucas smiles happily. "Yeah. It's not like more trees would co-"

"OKAY, WE GET IT!" Everyone yells at Lucas, interrupting him. Lucas jumps a bit from the yell.

"Okay okay. Just saying."

Anna rolls her eyes as Wyvern coughs a bit. "Ahem." The Empoleon says, clearing his throat. "Aside from that...crisis from earlier, if anyone in this village wishes to investigate the forest, please say 'I'." Everyone in the village is quiet for a moment until Iris steps toward Wyvern, looking down at him.

"I." She says firmly. The villagers gasp, except for Wyvern and the two Emboars. Anna sighs and sits next to the Dragonite.

"I would like to come with her as well." Anna says. Everyone gasps again, except Wyvern and the two Emboars. Iris looks at the villagers slowly.

"Okay. Was that even necessary?" The Dragonite questions. The crowd gasps yet again, causing Iris to put her hand against her face. Soon, an avian-like creature with his black head resembling an eighth note (Chatot) stares at the two Pokemon.

"But it's too dangerous to go in there. There's Houndooms and other Pokemon that dislike our presence due to us living civilly while they prefer the wild!" The Chatot says worriedly. The Pokemon within the village agree with him as Iris sighs.

"You really think I don't know that? I sorta guessed that the moment I step foot here." Iris says. Everyone in the village blinks confusedly as Iris shakes her head, sighing in disbelief. Wyvern looks at the two Pokemon, feeling a bit worried.

"Are you sure about this? The forest can be quite tough to enter in and exit out." Wyvern says in a rich tone. "As I've stated before, it's an issue that could damage my village here." Anna and Iris look at each other before nodding with a smirk and stare back at the Empoleon.

"Mayor, we can handle this. We've been through a lot of places and most of them involves dangers. This isn't new to us." Anna says with a grin. Wyvern thinks for a moment before nodding.

"Very well then."

The villagers are still a bit shocked at the response. "But sir, you remember what happened to one of our villagers that entered the forest last time, right?" The first Emboar guard whispers. "He didn't make it out until 10 months later..." Wyvern sighs and looks at the Emboar.

"I think it'll be different. That Electivire went in there because some attractive ladies decided to go in. Pure foolishness, I'd say." The Empoleon says to the Emboar calmly. "I'm sure it won't be the same for these two. After all," Wyvern looks at the two Pokemon, seeing them staring sternly at him. "I did told them about the village's history. Surely, they'll know what to do." The Emboar shifts.

"I hope so..."

"Anyway, would you two like to bring someone along?" Wyvern asks the two Pokemon. Lucas immediately raises his hand.

"Pick me! Pick me!" He says. His face holds the innocence of a child but his act is simply annoying to Iris and Anna. They look at Lucas weirdly.

"Nah. We're good." The two Pokemon say to Wyvern instantly. Lucas puts his hand and ears down, looking rather sorrow.

"Aww..." Lucas says. Iris looks at Ashen.

"Hey Ashen. Can you and Lucas watch over the house and maybe this village for us while we investigate, please?" Iris says firmly.

"Will do, Iris." Ashen says, nodding.

"Alright..." Lucas says, mobbing.

"Good." Iris looks at Anna. "Ready to go?" Anna looks back and nods. The Dragonite then turns around and walks towards the forest. Anna follows along as everyone moves out of their way.

"Good luck, you two!" Ashen shouts, waving at them. He then takes his attention toward Lucas, seeing him sigh sorrowfully. He pats the Furret on the back. "Hey, it'll be alright." Lucas still looks unhappy and sighs once more. "Look, I'll let you get in the hot shower after those two come back, alright?" Lucas springs up in joy and looks at Ashen.

"Really!? Thanks, mate!" Lucas says happily.

"Hehe, no problem." Ashen says, smiling.

Wyvern glances at Iris and Anna, seeing them disappear inside of the forest. _I hope to Arceus that nothing bad happens to those two…_ He thinks, looking rather worried. The silhouette figure from earlier begins to turn to the side and walks away.

Iris and Anna roam through the forest, beginning to hear sounds along the way. "Think we're close?" Anna asks. Iris looks at her.

"I'm not sure. I mean, I can hear noises but I feel like it's not from the...well, scream...and the trees." Iris answers in a firm tone. "In fact, we just now exit out of the vill-" She then stops in her tracks, glancing at something in front of her. The Ninetales stops as well.

"What is it, Iris?"

Anna soon hears a bunch of growls in front of her. The two see four canine-like creatures with skull-shaped pendants on their throats and horns on top of their heads: They're known to be Houndooms. The Houndooms growl at the two Pokemon furiously.

"Who are you and why are you entering our homeland, intruders?" The Houndoom in front of the others demands. Anna glances at the four while Iris facepalms.

"I should've expected something like this to happen to me..." Iris says to herself, groaning uncomfortably. The front Houndoom slams his paw down.

"Answer me!"

"Look, we didn't come here to harm anyone, especially your kind. We just came here to investigate the loud noises." Iris snarls. "And who I am is none of your business whatsoever." The Houndoom raises her brow before growling once more.

"I don't believe you. You two look like troublemakers."

Anna facepaws. "Does that lieutenant-looking face look like a troublemaker to you? Really now." Anna says, rolling her eyes. The Houndoom looks at her.

"Then what doesn't make you two troublemakers?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe us not doing anything? Besides entering a forest...that's about it." The Ninetales sighs heavily. "You guys are slow and I hate that." Anna switches her tone to seriousness, glaring at the Houndooms. "Now would you kindly move out of our way, please." The Houndoom in front of the others shakes his head.

"Not until you get past us first."

Anna smacks her lips, feeling quite annoyed. Iris looks at the wings on her back before getting behind Anna.

"Huh!?" Anna yelps.

"Next time, pal." Iris says, winking at the Houndooms with a smug look before lifting Anna up by her forelegs and flies into the air. She soars past the Houndooms while carrying Anna. The Houndoom in front turns around along with the others.

"What the!? Hey! Get back here!" The Houndoom yells. "That's not how things are supposed to go! Damn yooou!"

Iris slightly closes her eyes as she flies away from the yelling Houndoom. Anna sighs in relief.

"Glad that ended real quickly." Anna says.

"Pfft, tell me about it." Iris replies in a sassy tone.

"Although, I do have a problem with you carrying me...I feel so...embarrassed and awkward right now." Anna blushes. Iris chuckles softly.

"Ah. This reminds me of the time where I was carrying you like this but instead, you were-" Iris looks down at Anna teasingly with a smile on her face. "-a cute little Vulpix." Anna blushes madly.

"H-Hey! You only carried me because I didn't know how to experience the outside world back then!" Anna says. "B-Besides, I was still an adult at the time...just didn't feel like evolving until now." Iris looks forward and nods.

"True...But you was still cute though." Iris snickers as Anna blushes more.

"C-Can we go back to the previous subject instead of talking about you carrying me? You know, _the sounds_?"

"Alright, alright." Iris stops for a moment and looks around carefully. "Not seeing anything exploding yet." She then hears a loud explosion coming from her upper right. She looks immediately, noticing the smoke rising from afar. "Ah, there's the explosion." Anna nods at the Dragonite before Iris soars towards the smoke.

Over at Jimmy side, he, Carrie, and the Malamars seem to be exhausted. Jimmy and Carrie pant while eyeing at their opponents. Alro's eyes widen a bit as he looks at Carrie.

"Damn...it's like you get stronger and stronger each time you use that move..." He says. Carrie slowly smirks at him.

"Well perhaps...you...don't know...what Power-Up Punch is..." She says, panting more. "It boosts your physical attack each time after hitting your opponent..."

"I...I see then..." Alro suddenly freezes. "Gah!" His eyes widen in horror as he stares at the Lucario. Natalie hugs Mark from behind, clinging to him while he hugs back. Jimmy backs up against a random tree, being surrounded by the Malamars.

"It's over, hero boy." The second Malamar says, preparing a Psycho Cut along with the other three. Jimmy and Carrie both grin.

"Actually..." Jimmy shifts his scarf.

"It's over for you!" Jimmy and Carrie both yell. Jimmy runs toward the second Malamar and roundhouse kicks him, causing the Malamar to slam into the others like dominoes. Carrie does the same attack to Alro, causing him and the others to get knocked out yet again. Jimmy and Carrie pant, looking at each other before fist-pumping one another. Bruises appear all over the two's body as Carrie turns her attention toward the two children, smiling softly.

"It's over now...We can finally go home." Carrie says, walking towards the two. Natalie tears up in joy while Mark opens his arms, wanting a hug from his older sister. Jimmy looks at the three and smiles in glee.

"Boy, do I enjoy seeing happy endings. Always a beautiful thing to witness in life." He says to himself happily. Jimmy then turns to the side slightly and finds Alro grabbing the sharp stick from earlier. He gasps shockingly before looking at the Lucario. "Carrie! Behind you!" Carrie stops and turns around slightly.

"Hmm?" She says confusedly. Within seconds the stick drives through Carrie's stomach, causing her to grit her teeth. "A-Gah!" She coughs out blood, her eyes widen in horror. Mark and Natalie become terrified, seeing their only guardian being stabbed right before their eyes. Carrie slowly stares at Alro, him panting heavily and menacingly before thrusting the stick more. This leads the Lucario to scream in pure agony.

Iris and Anna hear Carrie's scream from a distance. "Looks like that's the same female scream from earlier but this time-"

"It sounded like she's in real pain again!" Anna says, interrupting Iris. Iris looks down at her and nods.

"Yeah. Let's hurry." Iris says firmly, speeding up.

Back with the others, Mark begins to tear up nonstop at the tragedy. "N-No...S-Sis!" Mark cries, forming a fist as tears land onto the grass. Alro then pulls the stick out, allowing Carrie to fall towards the ground.

"You...You absolute monster!" Jimmy yells. "This was supposed to be a happy ending for them! Not a bad ending!" Jimmy's eyes glow the color gamboge (light brown) and dark red. His scarf, horn and arms begin to glow white as he rushes toward the Malamar. "Close Horn Combat!" Jimmy screeches and leaps toward the Malamar. He tries to attack him but is stopped by Alro's Psychic. Alro shakes his head with a grin.

"You Pokemon are so funny. Trying to save those who are 'innocent'. I mean, there's no use for it. Everyone's either a predator or a prey. There's no good nor bad because that's how it is in life no matter how many times you try to enforce the rules here." Alro says, grinning deviously. He looks up at the pausing Heracross. "At the end, It's all about survival. I'm the predator-" Alro slams Jimmy to the ground hard with Psychic. "-and you're my prey!"

"Gaah!" Jimmy screams in pain. His eyes, arms, horn and scarf stop glowing altogether.

"Jimmy!" Mark and Natalie yell.

Alro laughs sadistically. "Thus truly, happy endings are nonexistent." He turns to the side, glancing at the two with madness. The two Pokemon rear back in his presence.

"Oh don't worry, you two. You'll join them real quickly." Alro says, walking towards the two slowly. Natalie tears up and growls at the Malamar, getting in front of Mark. Mark looks at the Zorua with wide eyes.

"Natalie, what are you doing!?" Mark says while shaking.

"Protecting you." Natalie says, snarling at Alro. "Leave us alone!"

Alro snickers sadistically. "Leave you alone?" He says. "You're the main reason for all of this to happen." Alro says, smiling evilly. "If you would've taken your death like the good girl you are, none of this would've happened." His eyes widen in insanity, filled with madness and sins. Natalie grits her teeth for a moment then opens her mouth, creating a black purple-like ball in front of her.

"I said leave us alone!" She yells, firing a Shadow Ball at the Malamar. Alro laughs maliciously and use Psycho Cut on the Zorua's Shadow Ball. The two moves collide together menacingly, smokes forming from its collision. Natalie flinches from the impact a bit then looks in front of her, noticing Alro's figure within the smoke. Then Alro instantly gets in front of her and smacks her towards the side.

Natalie crashes into another tree, yelping from the pain she received from it. Mark looks at his defeated friend.

"Natalie, no!" The Riolu yells in absolute dread. Alro looks at Mark with a smile.

"Oh I'll kill you right after I kill your friend, little one." Alro says, laughing more while walking towards Natalie. He's clearly gone haywire.

Mark grits his teeth. "Leave her alone!"

"U-Ugh..." Natalie says weakly, trying to stand up. Mark tries to get up as well but winces in pain from his leg.

 _O-Oh no. I-I don't know what to do._ Mark thinks. _Come on. There's gotta be something I can do...Stupid injured leg._ Mark looks to the side and notices something glowing within the bushes. _Hmm?_ He begins to crawl towards the bush in curiosity, wincing along the way. _Come on, almost there._ He reaches towards the bush and looks underneath it, noticing a brown bow. The bow is glowing on and off, repeating its cycle over and over again. The Riolu stares at the bow, feeling off about its presence. "Huh? What is a bow...doing around here...?" Mark says, tilting his head a bit.

Jimmy weakly tries to get up as he sees Alro walking towards the injured Zorua. "L-Leave h-her...b-be..." He says, coughing afterwards. Alro ignores the Heracross and stops in front of Natalie. Natalie looks up, terrified to see the deranged Malamar up close. Alro then wraps his scythe-like hand around Natalie's neck, choking her as he lifts her up. Natalie gasps, struggling to receive air.

"It's sad that you never get the chance to grow. To see this filth of a world till the end...But I guess it's for the best." Alro says as he slams Natalie against the tree, strangling her some more. He laughs while tightening the chokehold, Carrie looking at him and Natalie weakly.

"Na...talie..." Carrie says in a fragile tone. Natalie feels as though she's nearing her death, her vision beginning to fade.

"H..el..." Natalie tries to say something but couldn't. Mark looks at Alro then at the bow, sighing heavily.

 _I don't have much time left so...I hope to Arceus that this can save us._ Mark thinks, immediately grabbing the bow. After wielding it, he notices that a red tip arrow magically appear on his other hand, causing him to blink in surprise. _Huh?_ Then catches his attention to Alro's psychotic laugh.

"Say goodbye to your life, little Zorua. You and your friends here." Alro says and furthers the tightness. Mark raises the bow and aims it at Alro, shooting the arrow towards him immediately. The arrow strikes Alro from behind, causing the Malamar to gasp and drop the Zorua. He turns around slowly, staring at Mark wielding the bow. Natalie's vision goes back to normal as she coughs heavily. Alro begins to feel woozy from the arrow shot. "N-Nice...shot..." He gets on his knees. "Kid..." He falls to the side, coughing out blood. Mark shakes in fear, dropping the bow to the ground. His eyes widen as he sees everyone in front of him either knocked out or badly injured.

"O-Oh...d-dear..." Mark says, whimpering in terror. Alro looks in front of him and notices an ornate shield being beside one of the bushes. He grins and weakly raises his arm up, using Psychic to bring the shield towards him as his vision begins to fade a bit. As he grabs the shield...something bizarre happens.

Alro and the other five Malamars freeze in place. Within a couple of seconds, a dark mist forms around them, covering the Malamars mysteriously. The four Pokemon look at the Malamars, confusion and fear spreading across their faces.

"We got the shield for you, master...Now we'll search for...your...sword..." Alro says weakly as he and the other Malamars disappear into the dark mist. Everything becomes quiet for a moment until Carrie coughs out blood.

"Carrie!" Mark and Natalie yell, Natalie walking towards Carrie weakly while Mark crawls as quickly as he can. Jimmy finally gets up on his feet, wincing a bit in pain while looking at the two Pokemon surrounding their guardian.

"I-I never thought it would end like this." Carrie says, beginning to tear up. Natalie nudges her face, her tears gradually sliding down her face. Mark begins to form a fist, him tearing up during so.

"Sis, it's going to be alright. We're gonna get help, okay?" Mark says, putting his paw on Carrie's. Carrie gazes at Mark and smiles weakly.

"Mark...you have always been a great brother to me...Everything about you is so funny and enjoyable...When you do things to unintentionally embarrass yourself...and likes to cheer someone up whenever they're in need for happiness..." Carrie says, continuing the dreadful tears. "And Natalie has always been an interesting kind of child to take care of...W-with the tricks she pulls off to make me laugh and...the sass she does may tick me off at times but also makes me happy to take care of such an adorable child..." Carrie chuckles softly, nuzzling the two Pokemon. "Either way, you two have always brought joy to my heart. Rather during the down times...or the memorable times..." Mark wipes the tears off from his face.

"Carrie, pl-please don't talk like that. Y-You're going to live, okay!?" Mark gets close to Carrie. "Please hang in there." Carrie puts one hand behind Mark's head and the other on her stomach.

"Mark, just remember that...I'll always be with you...and...Natalie...in memories..." Mark puts his hand onto the side of Carrie's face. "I...love...you...brother..." Carrie leans her forehead against Mark's, both sobbing in sorrow. Natalie sniffles, tears streaming down like waterfalls at this point.

Soon, drops of liquid start falling from the sky as Carrie closes her eyes and lies down on the ground, not breathing nor moving. Mark shakes Carrie immediately.

"Carrie...Carrie!" Mark cries out, repeating the Lucario's name over...and over. Natalie whimpers, hugging Carrie's head in melancholy. Jimmy simply puts his head down, no longer wanting to look at the heartbroken view.

Iris and Anna seem to be closer to the four's location. "Ah dammit, it's raining." Anna says, frowning in a unpleasant manner. "I hate the rain..." Iris looks at her with a grin.

"Of course you'll hate the rain because you're a Fire type...What Fire type would like the rain...?" Iris says sarcastically, chuckling afterwards.

"Oh hush up." A bead of sweat runs down Anna's head.

Soon, Iris lands onto the ground and sees Mark and Natalie hugging the dead Lucario. Her face immediately changes to a serious, stern expression along with Anna's. "Hmm? What happened here?" Iris asks, putting Anna down. Jimmy looks at Iris slowly.

"A lot has happened, my Dragonite friend..." Jimmy says. "If you're here to harm us, now's your chance...I'm too weak and depressed to even continue fighting at this point..." Iris blinks at the Heracross and shakes her head.

"We're not here to harm anyone. We're here to investigate the madness going on in this forest..." Iris looks at the two Pokemon surrounding Carrie. "Though, it looks like we've found exactly that." She looks back at the Heracross. "By the way, the name is Iris. The Ninetales is Anna." Jimmy gazes at the two woeful younglings.

"Jimmy. Nice to meet you two..."

Iris nods slowly. She and Anna then walk towards the three Pokemon. Natalie looks up and notices the two, growling at them weakly. Iris and Anna stop for a moment.

"Leave us...alone..." Natalie says, sniffling. "We don't...want anymore...tr-trouble..." Iris looks into the Zorua's eyes, knowing how much sorrow she's feeling.

"Me and my friend are not here to hurt you two. I promise to Arceus that we're only here to investigate what's going on in this forest...and sadly, we kind of found out about it." Iris says firmly. Natalie cries some more.

"Then what!? You'll hurt us afterwards!?" Natalie yells, making Mark stop his sobbing and turns around. Jimmy gets beside the Dragonite.

"No, Natalie. They're on our side, okay? They're not going to attack us...I promise." Jimmy says calmly. Natalie grits her teeth before nudging against Carrie's head, crying loudly. Mark looks at the two Pokemon for a moment then turns around, staring back at Carrie. Iris walks toward the Riolu and gets on her knees.

"Are you okay, little Riolu?" Iris asks firmly. "Your leg doesn't look good..." She then looks at Natalie, noticing her ears being damaged. "...Along with your friend's ears..." Mark stares to the side.

"Those Malamars...hurt me, my friend and my sister...Then he...he..." Mark says, turning around with tears. "He killed my sister!" Anna looks at him, shocked and worried about what he said. Iris glances to the side, making a fist.

"Oh my...Wh-who...killed your sister?" Anna asks worriedly. Mark grips his fist, gritting his teeth.

"A Malamar...named Alro..." Mark sniffles. "He killed my sister...and all of this madness started after the Malamars tried to kill my friend, Natalie...Just because she knows about their plans..."

 _Plans?_ Anna thinks before Iris goes to hug the Riolu. He hugs back, crying into the Dragonite's belly.

"I'm sorry to hear about that...If we had gotten here earlier, this would've never happened..." Iris says, feeling down for herself. _Something similar to what Mewtwo told me after my father died…_ The Dragonite thinks, grim and sorrow spreading across her face. Anna looks at the group, shaking her head as a tear slides from her eye.

"I promise...that I...I..." Mark grits his teeth. "I'll get my revenge on him and his goons. I promise to my sister that I will!" Iris looks at Mark shockingly. She imagines him as her younger self, wanting to avenge her loved ones after seeing their deaths. Anna stares at him, shocked to hear that as well. Then she takes her eyes onto Iris worriedly.

Iris remains there, looking at the Riolu as she continues to hug him. In the foreground, a shadowed figure is on top of a tree staring down at the group silently. It looks like a green blob with a red dot on its stomach as it sighs sorrowfully.

"Poor thing..." The figure says, looking rather gloomy and miserable.

 _End of Chapter 4._


	6. Chapter 5

**_Author's note: Hey guys. Here's a new chapter for you all to read cause why not? If you enjoy this story so far, give it a follow and review about it if you like. It'll help me improve as time pass by. Anywho, enjoy._**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: Noctis Village is Under Attack! Iris Vs the Grant Crusaders!**

The rain stops its downpour as the droplets falling and sliding from each tree's leaves. One falls onto Iris' head, making her shiver from its cold contact. She groans miserably while she and the Heracross throw some dirt into a pile next to them. Anna stares at them with blues spreading throughout her face while the two younglings seem to be hugging a corpse of a Lucario known as Carrie. The Lucario lies against the tree peacefully, eyes closed and lips smiling. Tears stream down from Mark's face, him shaking his head and hugging his sister tightly.

Jimmy stops digging and looks at the three Pokemon behind him. "Is this good enough to bury her?" He asks while the Dragonite pauses on her digging as well.

"Yes. That's good enough." The Ninetales replies. Anna looks at Mark and Natalie. "...Time to let her go now…" She says in a sorrow tone. Mark shakes his head.

"Can I stay with her a bit more? Please…" He begs.

"Look, we gave you enough time to be with her...You'll have to let her go."

"No!" Mark buries his face into the Lucario's arm, sobbing ever more. Anna's eyes narrow at him.

"Fine. I'll bury her myself." Anna walks toward the Riolu before being stopped by Iris.

"Hey. Let the Riolu have his final moment with his sister. It's heartless to take that away from him, Anna." Iris says, looking rather disappointed at her. Anna looks away slightly, her ears drooping down.

"Sorry, Iris...It's just…" Anna tears up, having an image of a burning forest plays in her head. A red fox-like Pokemon, Vulpix, cried out the names 'Mommy' and 'Daddy' in a woeful and panicked tone. Reverting back to the present, Anna shakes her head immediately. "Nothing! Okay!? I was...Sorry…" She looks away from the group.

Iris glances at Anna for a brief moment before turning her attention toward Mark and Natalie. Mark sniffles, squeezing Carrie's arm tightly.

"I...I didn't want this to happen to you...I...I've always wanted to protect you...the same way you protected me and Natalie." Mark winces. "I'm sorry that I couldn't…" Natalie goes to immediately nudges against his face, bursting into tears.

"It's not your fault, Mark! It never was your fault! It's mine. She's dead because of me! It's all me!" Natalie screams. Mark blinks, looking at her.

"N-Natalie…" Mark hugs the Zorua.

"It's always _me_ causing problems, getting into other people's business and worst of all, repeating the whole cycle until...until...something like this happens!" Natalie buries her face into Mark's chest. "I hate myself for leading Carrie toward her death…I...really, really do..."

"Natalie…"

Iris looks down at the ground with anger forming across her face, clenching her fist. _Alro, when I meet you in person, I'll be sure to help Mark accomplish his revenge. I promise._ She thinks. Iris then looks at the two.

"You're done now, Mark?" She asks. Mark looks at Iris and nods.

"...Yeah…" He says before looking down at the ground, Natalie's sobs continuing like a rainstorm while Iris sighs and picks up Carrie. Jimmy hops out of the hole and waits by another tree.

The Dragonite then proceeds toward the hole, slowly looking at the Heracross first before the hole itself. She sighs and puts Carrie inside gently, grabbing some dirt from the pile and putting it on the body. Jimmy goes to aid her and soon, Carrie is hidden away within the dirt. Iris then carves the tree with her claw and writes the words 'R.I.P. Carrie the Lucario', making her become a memory.

The Dragonite pats the dirt and stands up, looking at the others. "Okay...looks like we're done here." She says. "Let's head back to the village." The four Pokemon nod at the Dragonite as they leave the area together.

. . .

They continue their way back to the village on a pathway, Iris carrying Mark while Natalie clings onto Anna's back and Jimmy walks with his arm around his waist. The Heracross looks at the ground, remembering what Alro told him.

 _There's no good nor evil, it's all about survival…_ Jimmy repeats what Alro's said in his head. _I wonder, if he's really telling the truth about what he said…_ Jimmy shakes his head slightly. _No. I know this world has justice. I mean, me and Carrie brought justice to those Malamars, right? So good does exist._ He looks at the sky and randomly shouts, "There's always justice in this world of ours!". The four Pokemon look at the Heracross, raising their brows in concern. Jimmy looks back and laughs nervously. "Heh heh, sorry about that. Got a little...carried away..."

They all sigh at the Heracross and continue walking. Iris looks at Mark and he looks back at her, neither of them show much of a reaction. Iris then looks in front of her and sighs. _It sickens me how things like this happen to someone so young and innocent…_ She thinks, staring at the ground while clenching her fist. _Dammit...if only me and Anna were there on time, we would've saved his sister…_ She grits her teeth due to frustration. _I can't let this get to me. Not here...not now…_ Soon, Iris notices something about the Riolu and looks at him again, only to see a bow on his back. _What the...Is that what I think it is…?_ She continues staring at it after a while before turning her head back and sighs. "Make sure you know how to handle that _Weapon Mischief_ , kid." She says firmly. Mark raises a brow at her confusedly.

"What?" He asks. Iris doesn't say anything afterwards, leading the Riolu to sigh heavily. After a while, the five soon see a light up ahead. They start to go toward it until a group of Houndooms get in their way, growling at the five Pokemon.

"We meet again, outsiders." The Houndoom in front says. Iris' eye twitches as Anna sighs heavily.

"Ugggh. You four are quite irritating, honestly." Anna states.

"Hush, Ninetales! Now then, since you two decided to leave like cowards, we'll be sure to take you on th-"

"ARE. YOU. AN. IDIOT!?" Iris yells, loud enough to make the Flying types fly away. The Houndooms jump a bit, including Jimmy and the other three.

"Holy crap, Iris. Calm down." Anna says, her eyes widen in surprise. Iris glares at the Houndooms menacingly.

"You four...I got two, perhaps _three_ injured Pokemon with me and you're asking for a fight? Really!?"

The second Houndoom snickers. "So this means a victory for us then." The second says.

"Oh right. Just don't care about the two injured younglings with us. Beating us up is more important than those two."

The Houndooms look at Mark and Natalie, seeing the two in massive pain. The Houndooms wince a bit, showing a grimace look on their faces.

"Oh...sorry. We...didn't know...What happened?" The first Houndoom asks curiously. Iris shakes her head slowly.

"None of your business is what happened. Now get out of our way, you selfish dogs." Iris says, walking past the group. Anna and Jimmy follow along, Jimmy shaking his head at the Houndooms before looking at Iris.

"Sorry about those jerks, Iris." He says. Iris shrugs uneasily.

"Eh, I dealt with them earlier...They were pissing me off so I had to yell in order for their minds to get straight. I hope not to see their asses again." Iris says, her eyes being narrowed. Jimmy laughs softly.

"I hope for the same, too."

. . .

Everyone in the village continues staring at the forest. Their faces are etched with worry, especially Lucas and Ashen. Soon, Wyvern sees the silhouettes of the Pokemon coming out of the forest and smiles softly. _I knew they'd be safe._ Wyvern thinks.

"I see someone coming!" One Pokemon's voice shouts. Everyone cheers in joy to see five Pokemon exiting out of the forest, Ashen and Lucas rushing towards them during so.

"You're okay!" Lucas cries. "And I get to have an hot shower, too!"

Ashen looks at the Furret awkwardly, sweatdropping. "Yeaaah. We were worried sick about you two." The Linoone says to Iris and Anna. "What happened in there?" Iris looks at the three injured Pokemon, shrugging uncomfortably.

"Well, we met these three when we got there and...they aren't looking too good either..." Iris says. Everyone gasps, staring at the three injured Pokemon. Wyvern's mouth goes agape to what he's witnessing.

"Quick! Emboar guards! Take these three to the Medic House immediately!" Wyvern orders the two Emboars next to him. They both nod at the Empoleon, the first guard taking Mark and Natalie out of the two Pokemon's possession while the other guard wraps Jimmy's arm around his neck. Then two more Emboars guide them past the mayor's home and head to the medic house.

"Iris…?" Mark asks, his eyelids drooping down. Iris follows the Emboars along with the others. Everyone in the village watches them in curiosity and concerns.

"It'll be alright, Mark. They're just gonna heal you, Natalie and Jimmy. Okay?" Iris says, smiling at him. "At least, I believe so." Natalie looks at Iris and the others.

"I hope they do…" Natalie says softly.

. . .

In the medic house, four pink, vaguely star-shaped creatures with pointy ears and black oval eyes are shown aiding the three Pokemon's wounds: Clefable. The three Pokemon are on their own separate beds; Mark being in the middle, Jimmy on the left and Natalie on the right. Mark has bandages around his leg, Jimmy has bandages around his stomach and Natalie has bandages around her ears. Iris and the others are inside of the house as well, looking at them worriedly. One of the Clefables then walks towards the seven Pokemon calmly.

"The three are resting peacefully." The Clefable says softly. Iris and the others sigh in relief before the Clefable shifts a bit, her eyes drifting away. "Unfortunately, their wounds will take awhile to heal...especially for the Riolu."

Iris nods. "As long as they're recovering then I don't mind the wait." She says firmly. Lucas begins to tear up and cries on Ashen's shoulder. Ashen blinks at him, a bead of sweat forms on the side of his forehead.

"Waah! They're gonna die!" Lucas cries, continuing his waterfall on the Linoone. Anna growls at Lucas' shenanigans as Wyvern and the two Emboars raise their brows at the Furret.

"Lucas! They're not going to die! Their wounds just needed to heal, that's all! You idiot!" Anna shouts. Lucas suddenly stops crying and remains still as if he's a soldier in a military.

"Yes ma'am! Understood!" The Furret shouts, leading Anna to shaking her head while having her paw against her face.

Soon, Iris starts to hear voices coming from the outside. "Hmm?" She says, turning around to see two more Emboars talking to someone in front of them.

"Sorry sir, but we can't let you in. Only those who're with Iris the Dragonite can." The first Emboar states.

"Did you say Iris the Dragonite? I've known her since I was a young adult." The voice says in an elderly tone. Iris squints her eyes at the two Emboars, seeming to have recognize the voice.

"Wait, that voice...Could it be?" Iris says to herself. Ashen and Lucas are starting to recognize the voice as well.

"Ah man, don't tell me it's…" Ashen says, pausing himself as him and the other two walk toward the Emboars. Anna and the others look at the three and follow them in curiosity.

Iris flies over the Emboars to stand in front of a pink bipedal creature with a pale yellow muzzle, a spiral crown-like shaped Shellder being on his head and a scaled body: Slowking. The Slowking has circles underneath his eyelids, hinting at his age. Ashen and Lucas see the Slowking as well, leading them and Iris herself to become excited from the Pokemon's appearance.

"Ego." Iris says calmly, forming a warm smile.

"Old man! It's been awhile!" Lucas yells happily. The three Pokemon smile at the Slowking as he waves at them.

"Greetings, you three. It's been quite a long time since we've met." Ego says softly. He looks at Iris and the other two Pokemon with a grin. "I see that you've grown up, Iris. Along with your friends there, too."

"Yeah. But time doesn't always change us. Especially for him over there." Iris says, glancing at Lucas. Lucas looks back and titters, a bead of sweat forms on the side of his face.

Ego chuckles at the goofy Furret. "Lucas' still himself as always, I see. He never ceases to amaze me with his wacky antics since Miracle Town." He says with a smirk. One of the Emboars looks at Iris and the others in a concerning manner.

"...So are you four just gonna stand and talk out here? I mean, there's a serious operation going on inside." The first Emboar says.

"Right." Iris replies and nods at the Emboar. She then looks back at Ego. "Wanna come inside?"

"Sure." He says. "I wanna see who the three injured Pokemon are, after all." Iris looks at the Emboars.

"May he come inside?" She asks. The Emboars shrugs.

"I suppose so, since you know this person well." The second Emboar says.

"Thanks."

The five Pokemon let the Slowking be inside of the medic house. Anna, Wyvern and the other two Emboars see Ego walking by and sitting down on one of the chairs in the house. The three walk next to Ego. "Hmm…" Anna says while walking toward the four, she notice them laughing and joking with each other. She takes her eyes on Ego in curiosity. "I assume that you're the Pokemon Iris is looking for, correct?" Ego looks at the Ninetales, tilting his head slightly.

"Of course, ma'am. And who might you be?" He asks.

"The name is Anna, sir. I'm one of Iris' allies. Nice to meet you." Anna answers, smiling calmly. The Slowking smiles back.

"The name is Ego. I'm Iris' closest caretaker in the Crater Grassland and also a traveler. A pleasure to meet you as well."

"Oh? You are?" Anna blinks peculiarly as Ego nods.

"Indeed. I've been looking out for her after coincidentally encountering the village filled with mostly Dragonites and other Dragon types that lovely day. After some point in time, I decided to leave the Crater Grassland after the princess grew a bit older."

Iris shrugs awkwardly, glancing to the side. "No need to call me princess, gramps." She says, feeling quite annoyed by the word.

Ego chuckles softly. "My apologies, Iris."

"So if you've met Iris at the Crater Grassland, then how did you met Ashen and Lucas?" Anna asks. "Since I recall them never living in the Crater Village with Iris."

Ego smiles calmly. "Well, that's the magic of me being a traveler. While I was off relaxing at Miracle Town, which is within the same continent as the grassland, I happened to meet Iris there along with those two you've mentioned."

"Yeah! I was a cute Sentret during the time!" Lucas says, glee spreading across his face. Anna stares at him and sweatdrops.

"Yeah yeah, I know how you looked like as a Sentret. Already forgetting about the time when we first met?" Anna squints her eyes at the eye-patched Furret as he chuckles nervously, scratching the back of his head.

Ego then turns his attention towards the three injured Pokemon. "So I guess that these three been through the madness going on from the forest, eh?" He questions, rubbing his hand against his chin. Iris nods at the Slowking firmly.

"Pretty much. The Riolu seems to have caught my attention the most, though." Iris says. Ego raises his brow at her.

"How so?"

"Well, his leg was pierced and his older sister was killed…"

Ego blinks curiously. "How did this happen?"

Iris sighs. "These groups of Malamars attacked him and the others. Alro, their leader, killed his sister and stabbed his leg, I assume." The Dragonite shudders from the explanation. "That's...as best as I can describe the situation…"

"I...see." Ego shudders as well. "Sounds quite painful to bare at such a young age." Iris looks at the ground.

"Tell me about it…" The Dragonite grips her fist angrily. Ego sighs while shaking his head.

"Anyways, mind telling me who these three names are?"

Iris looks at the Slowking. "Mark, Natalie and Jimmy." She lists. Ego glances at their wounds.

"Hmm...Well I hope for the three to get well soon."

Iris nods. "Agreed..."

The Slowking then takes his eyes back onto the Dragonite. "Onto another topic, what brings you all the way from the Crater Grassland just to see me...again?" Ego asks, clarifying himself. Iris folds her arms and frowns.

"You know exactly why I'm here, Ego." She states. Ego notices the look on Iris' face and sighs.

"Sure...Follow me." Ego gets up and walks out of the medic house as Iris looks at her crew.

"I'll need you three to stay here while I go talk to Ego alone." Iris says. Anna lowers her brow slightly.

"Why I'm curious to know what the chat is about." She demands.

"It has something to do with only me."

"But Ir-" 

"Anna, please." Iris stares into the Ninetales' eyes sternly. Anna purses her lips and rolls her eyes.

"Fine. Whatever you say…"

Iris goes to follow the Slowking as Wyvern watches her. _Some relationship they have._ He thinks, shaking his head. As she makes it outside, she sees the Slowking standing next to a house, waving at her. The Dragonite walks toward his direction afterwards.

. . .

Iris gazes around Ego's home. Wine red is plastered over the walls, two couches sit in the middle of the living room and a dining table at the back. Then she finds a serpent-like creature with purple scales all over her body and has a large 'hood' just below her head: Arbok. The Arbok is sitting behind the dinner table, spotting the two Pokemon as she smiles.

"Hello!" The Arbok sings, waving her tail at the two Pokemon. A bead of sweat forms on the side of Iris' face as Ego smiles.

"Hi, Carly...It's been awhile." Iris says with a dull look on her face. Carly stares at Iris and hisses at her immediately, forming some kind of purple energy inside of her mouth: Poison Sting. Iris' eyes widen as she jumps back. "Whoa! Whoa! It's me, Iris. The 'used to be' Dragonair from Miracle Town, remember!?"

"Grr. I don't know who that is." Carly exclaims, her eyes glowing pure white. Ego immediately runs towards her and pets her on the head.

"Hey hey now. Don't try to harm the entire world because of one person you forgot, Carly." Ego says calmly. Carly looks at Ego as her eyes revert back to normal.

"But Ego...this Dragonite could be an enemy." The Arbok murmurs. Ego smiles at her warmly.

"No need to fear Iris, our old friend."

"I don't know who...Wait...Oooh! Now I remember who she is!"

"Oh, Carly. You silly Arbok."

Ego and Carly start laughing as Iris fixes her eyes on them with crossed arms. "Look. I didn't come here for some laughing parade. So let's go, Ego." Iris demands. Ego sighs softly.

"Alright, alright." He says while gazing at Carly. "Me and Iris are going to have a private chat in the bedroom. So it's best if you don't try to interfere with us at the moment. Okay?"

Carly nods obediently. "Okay! I won't interfere. Promise!" She says, letting a tongue hang out playfully.

Ego then turns to some bead curtains and walks through them. Iris follows along while Carly goes to look at her own tail, admiring it in a silly manner. Behind the curtains are two beds leaning against the walls and a lamp sitting on a desk. Ego goes to sit on a brown chair near the desk, tapping his fingers together as Iris goes to sit on the round sofa near the curtains.

"So Iris, you wanted to tell me something?" Ego says.

"Yes. Do you know where Maple Town is?" Iris asks.

"Maple Town. Hmm...I believe it's located east of the Pirate Sea, if I'm correct. You'll see some big rocks up ahead so be careful. After passing by the rocks, you'll see a ton of trees dripping honey from their leafs. And from there, you've reached Maple."

"Okay. Thanks, Ego." Iris gets up from the sofa and is about to walk out of the room until Ego speaks.

"Iris, why do you want to go to Maple Town?" He asks.

"Because Maple Town is one of the places I have to go to get to Unbound Tower...well, final place, correction." Iris answers. "Mewtwo did hint me that you know the town's location so that's why I asked." Ego sighs heavily.

"I understand..." He looks down at the ground. "Though, Iris...I don't think revenge will make you feel better. If any, it'll make you feel the exact opposite: Worse."

Iris glances at the Slowking. "Don't tell me what revenge does for me. Ho-Oh killed my father without mercy. So he'll pay." The Dragonite grips her fist.

"But Iris, would your father ever want you to take revenge on Ho-Oh?"

Iris stands there for a moment before shaking her head. "Ego, he probably does or...I don't know, just...Please, let's not discuss my decision."

Ego nods slowly. "Understood…"

Soon, it got quiet between the two. Silence lingers for a while until a scream occurs from the outside. Iris and Ego look out of the window immediately, seeing some Pokemon running away from the seaport.

"The hell?" Iris says.

"Seems like this village is being invaded." Ego affirms.

Soon, Ego notices that Iris is no longer with him. "Iris?" He then shakes his head with a awkward smile and sighs. "Leave me hanging, I suppose. Heh."

Iris is outside of the Slowking's home, glancing at the seaport itself. Anna, Lucas, and Ashen are outside of the medic house as well.

"The hell is going on here?" Anna asks.

"It looks like the problem is coming from the port, mate." Lucas says, pointing at the seaport. Iris takes a good look at the port and notices seven Pokemon causing mayhem. She then buries her face into her hand.

"Not them again…" Iris says in a uncomfortable tone.

The seven Pokemon walk towards the group while Wyvern and his four Emboar guards exit the medic house. The Pokemon in front of the troublemakers is a large, purple bipedal creature with reptilian features and narrow eyes: Nidoking. On the Nidoking's left is a bipedal weasel-like Pokemon with a pale gray body and a red crown: Weavile. And on the Nidoking's right is a bipedal sepia-colored creature with two pillars in her hands and a large red nose: Conkeldurr.

Behind the Weavile and Conkeldurr are four more Pokemon. The first being a blue bipedal creature with muscular arms, bulbous eyes, and has a swirling belly: Poliwrath. The second being a green plant-like creature with yellow markings on his neck, body, and torso and has eight pink-tipped tentacles: Cradily. And the third and fourth both being a red cephalopod-like creature with large round eyes and a turret-like mouth: Octillery.

The seven Pokemon look at Iris and the others with devious grins spreading across their faces as they stop walking, the Nidoking adjusting his black gloves during so. "Well well, isn't it the Iris' crew?" The Nidoking says, cracking his fist. "It's been awhile since we first encounter each other at Miracle Town." Anna growls lowly as Iris grips her fist. Ashen glares at the group while Lucas trembles and the four Emboars makes a fist, flames forming around them. Wyvern takes a step forward, looking quite unpleased.

"Who are you savages and why are you trashing my village?!" Wyvern demands. The Nidoking laughs humbly and deviously.

"Why, haven't you heard? We're-" The Nidoking and his crew do an embarrassing pose; The Nidoking and Weavile fistpump each other and having their other arms raised diagonally while the Conkeldurr holds her pillars upwards and does the karate crane pose. The Poliwrath lifts his arms up and flexes his muscles while the Cradily picks the Octillerys up with his tentacles and the Octillerys look up to close their eyes elegantly. "-the Grant Crusaders!" Wyvern lets out a bead of sweat as Iris buries her face into her hand once more. Anna looks at the Crusaders and raises her brow at them.

"So...these are the Grant Crusaders you were referring to as your rivals before, Iris?" Anna questions.

"Wish to say no but yes." Iris mumbles in her paws.

"Pfft, seems like an embarrassing pirate crew to me." Anna laughs a bit loudly. The Weavile narrows his eyes at the Ninetales as the Crusaders stop being in their ridiculous pose.

"Hey! We're the most ruthless pirates alive, dammit!" He yells angrily. Wyvern blinks at the Dragonite.

"Um Iris...Do you perhaps know these guys?" The Empoleon says. Iris sighs heavily.

"I wish I didn't but pretty much, yes. These guys are an army of Lucases, to put it simply." Iris says, immediately looking at Lucas. "No offense, by the way."

"Some is taken!" Lucas says with a sad look on his face. Iris blinks at the silliness before glancing at the seven Pokemon.

"Anyways, the Nidoking name is Tybalt, the Weavile is Blake, the Conkeldurr is Minx, the Poliwrath is Mr. Buff…"

"Um, wh-"

Iris interrupts Wyvern. "Don't ask me why his name is like that. I don't know either…"

"Hey! I have my reasons!" Mr. Buff yells. Iris let out a bead of sweat before continuing.

"Anyways, the Cradily is Crisis and the two Octillerys are Octo and Pus."

Tybalt claps his hands softly. "How nice of you to introduce us to the fella." Tybalt comments. "It's almost like you cared about us."

Blake snickers. "Yeah. We could've done it ourselves but eh, thanks anyway." The Weavile says, snickering once more.

"You're _not_ welcome." Iris says firmly. "Now like the mayor said, why are you causing mayhem in this village? It already has bad enough things to worry about. No need to join in on the parade!" Minx shrugs from the question, leaning against one of her pillars.

"Weeelll, we got bored after stealing countless of poorless treasures. Blake then found a map to this place and here we are trashing it. Pretty much to see if this village has any loot of its own." Minx says, chuckling softly. Wyvern raises a brow at the Crusaders.

"But that doesn't give you the right to harm my here village." Wyvern says boldly, stomping a foot on the ground to further prove his point.

"Pfft. So what? We're pirates. We can do whatever we want." Minx laughs along with the rest of the Grant Crusaders crew. "I mean, who's gonna stop us anyways?"

Iris takes a step forward. "Me, of course."

Anna follows along. "Include me as well."

Ashen's paws glow white as he extends his claws length and says, "Same here.". Lucas continues to tremble behind his brother in fear.

"I-I think I-I'll cheer you guys on...N-not unless someone destroys the precious berry shop." Lucas says shakingly. Blake squints his eyes at the eye-patch Furret, forming an icicle in his hand and flicks it towards the shop next to him. As it hits the cart, nothing seems to be happening at the moment. But within a flash, the shop collapses. Lucas gets on his knees slowly and stares into the sky. "Nooo!" He cries out. "Not the shop! Anything but the shooop!" Everyone stares at him and sweatdrops from his overreaction. Lucas soon proceeds onto his feet and extends his claws from his paws, the paws glowing white along the way. "Okay, now I'm going to stop you guys!"

Ashen sighs, shaking his head. "Right." He says.

Tybalt grins and says, "Alright. Enough with the chatting. Let's get crashing!"

"Yeah!" The whole Grant Crusaders shout, charging towards Iris and the others with their battle cry. Iris looks at the three Pokemon and nods firmly. The three nod back and they all go after the seven Pokemon.

Octo and Pus latch onto Ashen and Lucas, Octo covering Ashen's face while Pus covering Lucas' face. "M-Mmf!?" The two captives mumble. They struggle to get the Octillerys off of them as they bump against walls and other things. Meanwhile, Crisis and Mr. Buff gang up on the Ninetales. The Ninetales looks at the two, forming flames from her mouth. Mr. Buff laughs, cracking his shoulder.

"You honestly think a Fire type attack could hurt me?" The Poliwrath says, water starting to form underneath him. Crisis snickers, forming a purple ball in front of him as Anna raises her brow at Mr. Buff. Then the Ninetales whirls around and kicks the ground with her feet, leading sand to be in the Poliwrath's eyes. Mr. Buff yelps, rubbing his eyes while backing away. Crisis then fires his Sludge Bomb at Anna as she counters it with Flamethrower. The two moves collide against each other, black smoke forming from the contact. Soon, a yellow orb heads towards Anna like a heat-seeking missile. Anna realizes that it's the Cradily's Confuse Ray and uses Protect. The orb is blocked by her clear shield, leading Crisis to laugh.

"Now Arnold!" Crisis says. Anna can't even look before Mr. Buff charges at her, water enveloping his body: Waterfall. He punches her within a flash, sending her slamming against a random house.

"Gah!" Anna says, coughing from the impact given to her. The Poliwrath then glances at the Cradily.

"Don't call me by my real name, please." He says, folding his arms. Crisis chuckles softly.

"Suuure." The Cradily says in a sarcastic tone.

Iris notices the Ninetales lying on the ground, gritting her teeth. "Anna!" She yells worriedly. Soon she hears a icicle whistling towards her and blocks it with her arm. The icicle pierces through, making her wince a bit. Then she grips onto the icicle and melts it with her flaming hand, taking her eyes on the Weavile now. Blake seems to be preparing another icicle as the Conkeldurr and Nidoking glance at the Dragonite. The three smile sickly.

"Don't forget about us, dragon girl." Minx says, tossing her pillar in the air and catching it with no problem. Iris growls at the three, Ego and Carly peeking out of their home to watch the fight. Wyvern goes to glance at the Emboars.

"Don't just stand there. Help those travellers out!" Wyvern orders. The Emboars nod and run to the fight. Meanwhile, Ashen and Lucas remain struggling in the Octillerys' grasp. Octo gazes at Pus with a snicker.

"By the time they get out of this grasp, they'll be suffocated." Octo says, very gentlemanlike.

"Yes indeed, brother." Pus replies, also very gentlemanlike as he and Octo laugh in a rich manner. Soon, their grips begin to loosen.

"Huh?" The two Octillerys say, looking down. Ashen and Lucas lower their heads back and move it forward to slam the Octillerys against each other, causing them to get hurt and release them. "Oof!"

The Linoone and Furret gasp for air tremendously, an disgust expression spreading across their faces. "My gosh. I could barely breathe in there!" Ashen exclaims, his nose scrunched up and one eye twitching.

"Same here, mate! Smells like garbage and sea water in there. Yuck!" Lucas says with the same expression. Octo and Pus rub their heads, looking at Ashen and Lucas with black eyes.

"Ow! That hurts, you fur brains!" Pus fusses, preparing an icy blue ball of light. Ashen snarls and claps his paws, Lucas jumping up and down due to being pumped by Ashen's Helping Hand move. Then the Furret dashes towards Octo with his extended claws ready to use his Fury Swipes attack.

Octo's eyes widen. "He's used Helping Hand on that Furret! Shoot your Ice Beam, Pus!" Octo yells, preparing his Ice Beam as well. Pus nods and shoots his Ice Beam attack at Lucas. A beam of cold energy lands onto the Furret and sends him crashing to the ground. He rolls around a couple times before being encased in ice. Ashen's eyes widen, shocked to seeing his brother under the frozen status.

"Lucas!" Ashen yells, only to get hit by Octo's Ice Beam. Ashen counters the attack with Fury Swipes but gets pushed back and lands onto the frozen Furret. The Octillerys laugh richly.

"You two are so weak. Haha." Octo says. "Learn to fight smart, not hard. Mehehe." As Octo continues his laughter, Pus turns to see an Emboar guard speeding towards them. His body being surrounded by an electrical barrier.

"Um, brother..." Pus says. "There's an Emboar heading in our direction."

"What? Whe-" Octo gets interrupted by the Emboar crashing into him and Pus with Wild Charge. They barrel towards one of the buildings and smack against it, knocked out due to the powerful attack. The Emboar groans from the recoil damage before looking at the two Pokemon, aiding Ashen up.

"Are you okay?" The guard says to him. Ashen brushes himself off and nods.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Ashen says, whimpering at the frozen Pokemon. "Just wished that I could find a way to free him, though." The Emboar looks at the ice-trapped Lucas and punches the ice, breaking it and thawing the Furret out. Lucas shivers nonstop after being free.

"M-Man, th-that w-was c-c-cold." The Furret says, rubbing his body continuously. Ashen chuckles softly at Lucas and hugs him, rubbing his arms as he smiles.

"I'm just glad that you're alright after all of that, bro." Ashen says before looking at the Emboar. "As for Iris and Anna, I'm not sure if they're doing okay."

The Emboar guard grins. "The guards are protecting them...well, for the Ninetales of course." He says. Ashen raises his brow confusedly before looking at Anna's location, seeing two guards knocking out Crisis and Mr. Buff.

"Sweet!" Lucas says cheerfully. "Looks like it's another victory for us, mate!" Then Ashen rushes toward Anna with no second thought in mind. "Hmm? Wait up, brother!" Lucas and the Emboar follow behind. Anna slowly gets up, rubbing her head with her paw.

"M-Man, that Waterfall attack sure did a number on me." She groans, sighing heavily as the three Pokemon headed toward her way.

"Are you okay, Anna?" Ashen asks.

"Yeah I'm fine. It was only a Water type attack, that's all."

" _Only_ a Water type attack?"

"Yeah...so?"

Ashen blinks for a moment before sweatdropping, sighing in relief. "Well...at least you're okay after that Water type attack." Ashen puts his hand onto Anna's paw. "Just try not to go overboard next time when battling someone, alright?" He smiles at the Ninetales as she blushes slightly, noticing the Linoone's paw onto hers. She immediately withdraws her paw, rubbing it.

"Yeah, yeah, idiot...Thanks..." She looks away slightly.

Ashen blinks at her confusedly before he and the others see Iris fighting off Blake, Minx and Tybalt. The other guard goes to aid her while she grabs Tybalt and tosses him to the side. The Emboar covers his body in flames and launches himself in the air, dropping his weight onto Minx with Heat Crash. Minx blocks the attack with her pillars and pushes the Emboar back. Then Blake uses multiple Ice Shards on the Emboar, flinging endless amounts of icicles. The Emboar glances at him, raising his brow in confusion.

"The hell?" The Emboar says, not being affected by the many Ice Shards as they all melt when contacting his flaming body. Blake stops and sweatdrops awkwardly.

 _Crap…_ Blake thinks, grinning and chuckling nervously. Then he dashes towards the Emboar with a sudden scream as his claws turns metallic-like. He uses Metal Claw on the Emboar but misses before receiving a Fire Punch in the stomach from him. "Oof!" This leads him to be blown away by the attack and lands into the broken shop, blacking out afterwards. Minx sighs heavily at the sight.

"Oh Blake, you moronic Weavile." She says, shaking her head while facepalming.

Meanwhile, Iris and Tybalt come face to face. Everyone watches the two in intensity. "I've been waiting to face you one on one with my Marvel Mischief against yours." Tybalt says, his eyes glowing the color purple and dandelion (dark yellow). "Finally, I get to have that chance!" His gloves then glow white as he laughs with pride. Iris glances at him as her necklace begins to light up, eyes glowing a dark blue and light blue color. Iris' fist forms fire and ice around it afterwards.

"I would like to say the same for you, too." Iris says while smirking slightly. Tybalt chuckles as electricity forms around his fist, him using Poison Sting on it and purple lines pricking the electricity. Wyvern gasps along with the Emboars.

"So _this_ is how a Pokemon uses their Marvel Mischief in battle." Wyvern says, feeling quite astound by the fight. "In fact, I didn't even know that Iris had one." Anna looks at Wyvern, a bead of sweat forms on the side of her face.

"How have you not noticed it?" Anna says. Wyvern shrugs awkwardly.

"I mean, it looked like a regular necklace. How am I supposed to know?"

Anna thinks for a moment before shrugging herself. "True."

Iris and Tybalt rush towards each other with their Mixturing Moves ready to attack.

"Fire Ice Punch!" Iris yells.

"Poison Thunder Punch!" Tybalt yells back.

The moves collide with a noise sounding like a rolling thunder and a raging fire, causing the winds in the air to blow at Wyvern and the others. Black smokes begin to form in the air as it catches everyone's curiosity and confusion. After a while, the smoke goes away, revealing the two Pokemon panting heavily. They both stare at each other for a brief moment before the two wince and fall on their knees.

"Sh-Shit. That hurts a lot…" Tybalt says, chuckling softly. Iris grins back at the Nidoking.

"It does...So that's how it feels to collide a Mixturing Move with another." Iris says, still panting from the massive attack.

"Heh. You know what? We'll retreat for now. Next time we meet Iris, be prepared to fight us again. Alright?"

"You don't have to tell me twice, knucklehead."

The Nidoking chuckles and looks at Minx, seeing her headbutting an Emboar's head and knocking him out.

"Minx. Get the rest of the crew and get us out of here!" Tybalt says to the Conkeldurr, his eyes and gloves stop glowing. Minx nods at him and walks towards the Weavile's direction. She then slaps the Weavile awake before going to carry the other four crew members. Blake yelps from the hard slap.

"Ow! Could've done a better way to wake me up other than that!" Blake yells, rubbing the side of his face as Minx giggles. She runs to the Crusaders' ship and throws the four Pokemon on it, hopping on board afterwards. Tybalt and Blake go to run towards the ship and get on it as well.

"Oh snap! After those pirates before they get away!" The Empoleon orders as the three guards try to pursue them but is too late. The ship sails away as Tybalt laughs loudly, seeing the guards stopping dead within their tracks. Iris' eyes and necklace stop glowing while she continues to pant, Anna and the others rushing towards her.

"Are you okay, Iris?!" Anna asks. Iris looks at Anna and smiles.

"I'm fine, Anna. Just a bit bruised up, that's all." Iris says.

"Are you sure? Because your arm is...bleeding out…"

Iris glances at her blood leaking arm and sighs. "I'm fine. Thanks for telling me that, Anna." Anna soon hugs the Dragonite before she hugs back, her sighing once more. Everyone in the village begins to come out of hiding, cheering in joy due to the madness being over.

"Well, thanks for saving our village from those pirate crew, Iris." Wyvern says proudly. "And I'll have the medics patch up your wound there as an award." Iris stares at the Empoleon after she stops hugging the Ninetales.

"No problem. Those guys were quite an annoyance when I first met them but don't worry, they won't come back here...Maybe. And thanks for offering to heal my wound."

"I see. And you're welcome." The Empoleon smiles.

Soon, a Clefable runs out of the medic home, looking quite surprised and shocked.

"Mayor! Mayor! I need you to come inside of the medic house, quick!" The Clefable says worriedly. Wyvern looks at her, tilting his head a bit.

"Why's that?" He asks the Clefable. Everyone goes to look at the Clefable as well. The Clefable twiddles her thumbs together.

"It's about the Zorua...It...seems like she... _healed herself_ this whole time."

"What!?" The group say, all looking quite surprised and confused themselves.

"How's that possible?" Iris asks, blurred by the news.

"I don't know...But if you wanna see it for yourself, then be my guest." The Clefable says, shrugging awkwardly.

"Alright then." Wyvern says. "And be sure to get some bandages for Iris, while added."

The Clefable looks at Iris' damaged arm and gasps. "Oh dear. W-Will do, sir!"

Soon, the gang goes to follow the Clefable inside of the medic home as Ego watches them.

"Hmm…" Ego thinks to himself, his hand stroking his chin into interest.

. . .

Alro and the Malamars trek through an empty wasteland on a pathway. Ruins are at every direction, yet some spacey towers still stand as they lean and crumble into the abyss. They walk through bleak crag and black soil at their feet. The shadowy-purple color overtaking the realm don't seem to daunt them as they've finally arrived at their destination. All of them kneel at a ghostly creature floating in the eerie sky, the creature itself staring down at them significantly. Being next to the Malamars is a purple ghost-like creature with a round head resembling a witch's hat and a thin red mouth that resembles the letter 'W': Mismagius. She is healing the Malamars, her eyes being pure black as the Malamars bodies are surrounded by dark outlines. She's mainly focusing on Alro's injury due to him having an arrow through his back as he gazes up at the figure, holding a shield towards the creature.

"My deepest apologies for being defeated by a Riolu, my master." Alro says, looking down. The figure glances at him with narrowed black eyes.

" _At least you have my shield. That's the only thing that matters on your mission. Although, you mustn't fall so easily in your task next time._ " The shadowy figure says in a monstrous voice. The figure holds its hand out, the shield floating out of the Malamar's hand and into the figure's. " _Rest for now. Because your next mission is to hunt down three Marvel Mischiefs and the Weapon Mischief from the Riolu. Understood?_ "

Alro blinks at the figure's request before nodding. "Yes sir." He says. The arrow in him falls to the ground and disappears, meaning he's fully healed. The Mismagius sighs in relief, her black eyes reverting to the normal Mismagius' eyes while the outlines on the Malamars stop appearing. She's proud of the effort she put into healing the Malamars as Alro continues to speak. "But if I may ask, why do you need the Weapon Mischief, sir? I understand the Marvel Mischiefs, in order for your goal to be achieved but for the Weapon Mischiefs, I don't get it."

" _It would give you another chance to kill the Riolu, correct?_ "

"Yes indeed, sir." Alro grins. "But-"

" _Moving on, the next mission will involve you conspiring with another Malamar named Clemence. She has a special, unique team ready for action and is very intelligent herself. Can you cooperate with her?_ "

Alro thinks for a moment. "Hmm. A female Malamar with more team members…" Six silhouettes appear far away in the background behind Alro, yellow eyes glowing from them.

"Certainly, sir."

 _End of Chapter 5._


	7. Chapter 6

_**Author's note: Hey guys, if you're seeing this right now then congrats on making it to the sixth chapter...err, all I can say, honestly. I hope you enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think about it if you want! Without further ado, enjoy.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 6: The History of Weapon Mischief.**

Somewhere within a dense forest is an old, decaying tower. Putrid smells form from the smoke cloaking the area as the entrance is being guarded by two groups of Pokemon with red vests. One group being limbless snail-like creatures with yellow oval eyes and their bodies almost being red magma: Magcargos. And the other being simian-like creatures with flame-like tufts on their heads and white shoulders ruffs: Simisears.

Inside of the top of the tower lies two legendaries: Mewtwo and Ho-Oh. Mewtwo hovers in place peacefully, having his eyes closed while Ho-Oh struggles inside of a force field. A silver necklace hangs on the wall next to Mewtwo, it being Ho-Oh's Marvel Mischief. The feline meditates calmly to himself while the phoenix glances at him angrily.

"You can't keep me hostage forever, you know." Ho-Oh says. Mewtwo opens one eye, looking at Ho-Oh sternly.

"Says who?" Mewtwo says.

"Says me! You're looking at a sacred legendary here!"

"You're not acting very 'sacred' yourself."

Ho-Oh scowls. "Shut up! When I get out of this force field, I'm going to make sure that you burn into nothingness." Mewtwo sighs heavily.

"I'd like to see you try."

"Grr…" Ho-Oh uses Flame Charge on the force field but gets pushed back by its power. Then he tries to use it again. Multiple times he's used the same move and still ends up with the same result. Mewtwo shakes his head disappointingly.

"Done acting like a fool now?" He remarks. Ho-Oh pants, gritting his teeth.

"Hush up…" Ho-Oh glances at Mewtwo. "By the way, you never answered me before: What did you said to that Dratini?" Mewtwo reveals a slight grin.

"I suppose I can answer that to you now...I've told her to get revenge on you for killing her father." Ho-Oh's eyes widen.

"Huh!? How long has it been!?"

"Hmm...since twenty years ago. She should be a fully grown Dragonite by now."

"Grr...How does she knows where to go?"

"Telepathy. I can sense her every location and communicate with her whenever I need to. For instance, she's in the 'Noctis Village'-" Mewtwo fully opens his eyes and looks at Ho-Oh. "Preparing to venture towards our location. Even though she was told the wrong information, the person will address her about it. Eventually."

"I see." Ho-Oh glances at Mewtwo before laughing. "Ha! You think she'll defeat me? I'll kill her the same way I killed her father but even more brutal! She'll become nothing after I deal with her!" Mewtwo chuckles at Ho-Oh's statement as if it's a joke before noticing his eyes containing nothing but the color black. Mewtwo gasps softly to himself.

 _His pupils...it's nothing but...darkness inside...odd…_ Mewtwo thinks, showing a bit of terror towards Ho-Oh. He then looks out of the tower and continues his meditation.

. . .

Everyone in the medic home is gathering around the three injured Pokemon. Iris having a small bandage around her arm as she and the rest look at the Zorua, who no longer has any bandages on her ears. Her wound is fully healed while she slowly open her eyes, noticing the crowd of Pokemon.

"How're you feeling, young Zorua?" The first Clefable asks.

"I'm...feeling fine." Natalie says. Everyone is shocked by the Zorua's answer.

"What the!? How's that possible...In fact, how did you heal yourself?" Iris asks. Natalie shakes her head.

"I don't know…" This seems to amaze everyone, conversations forming from such a unique phenomenon.

The second Clefable thinks for a moment before looking at the third. "Daniel. Look on the DNA scanner and see the damage results." The third Clefable nods.

"Right on it." He says softly as he turns towards a computer-like object being on the counter. He begins to type on it before pressing enter, seeing Natalie's cells from the computer screen. He notices the cells going haywire all over the place before reverting back to normal instantly, as if nothing happened. Daniel becomes terrified of what he witnessed. "Wh-What the…" He shakes in fear, backing away from the computer screen. Iris and the others notice his anxiety.

"What's wrong?" Anna asks.

"Th-The results...I...I never seen anything like this before..." Daniel puts his hands by the side of his face, eyes widening in fear. "Th-This...isn't normal at all. No Pokemon has ever had their cells go bizarre then back to normal so quickly..." Daniel then lets out a terrified scream, resulting to Wyvern comforting him immediately.

"Hey hey. Calm down. No need to panic, sir. It'll be fine." He says, patting the Clefable on the back. Everyone blinks at Daniel, surprised by his reaction towards Natalie. Iris and Ashen raise their brows at the Zorua as she looks at her paw.

"Hmm…" Natalie thinks for a moment before taking her eyes on Mark and Jimmy. Then she hops off her bed and walks towards Mark. She stops and looks at the Riolu's pierced leg, lifting her paw up and touches it. He winces from the sensitive touch while Natalie closes her eyes, her foreleg forming a red outline around itself. Mark's leg starts forming the red outline as well, slightly glowing. Everyone gapes at what they're seeing.

Anna blinks in surprise and thinks, _What is she doing?_

Wyvern and Daniel look at the Zorua, shock to see such an action being performed. Soon, Natalie withdraws her paw. The outlines on her and Mark's leg fade away before she jumps over Mark's bed and lands next to Jimmy, proceeding to touch his stomach. She pulls off the same process as she did with the Riolu, seeing Jimmy's stomach glowing slightly as well.

Lucas rubs his eyes then blinks a couple of times. "Whoa, mate." The Furret says.

"Th-That is...amazing…" Ashen says. "Is she using Heal Pulse?"

Iris looks at Ashen. "I'm pretty sure Heal Pulse doesn't look like that. Plus, Zorua doesn't normally learn that move...if I'm correct." She says calmly. She sees the Zorua being done with healing the Heracross, the Zorua turning towards everyone and smiles softly. The second Clefable stares at the DNA monitor for Mark and Jimmy and gasps.

"O-Oh my…" The second Clefable says with an shock look on her face. "Mayor, come take a look at this." Wyvern tilts his head slightly before walking next to the Clefable, glancing at the meter for a moment. He then forms a stun look on his face.

"W-Whoa! The cells are looking normal!" Wyvern exclaims.

"What!?" Everyone yells out in surprise.

"I know right? I remember seeing the cells looking quite out of place at first. But after she touched these two, the cells returned back to normal." The second Clefable explains. She scratches the side of her head, looking at the Zorua. "It's like she healed their injuries…in which, she did." Wyvern takes his eyes on Natalie and claps his hands.

"My my. That's quite the astounding gift you got there, little Zorua. Mind telling us how you're able to heal those two?" Wyvern asks curiously. Natalie sits down and fiddles with her paws.

"I-I don't know…" Natalie answers. Everyone's eyes widen from the answer.

"What!? You don't know!?" They yell. Natalie lowers her ears, looking down innocently.

"Sorry, but...I just don't know how. I mean, I'm able to heal someone's wounds but don't know how exactly...Nor knows how I can heal myself."

Iris thinks for a moment. "I've heard of Pokemon capable of healing others, but not to this level...Very interesting."

Everyone nods to Iris' statement, agreeing with her. Soon, Mark and Jimmy begin to wake up. The two yawn and immediately notice that they're no longer in pain: Mark tests out his leg while Jimmy turns left to right.

"Huh!? We were healed!? Just like that!?" Mark and Jimmy yell. The two then look at the group of Pokemon before eyeing Natalie, seeing her waving nervously at them.

"You two feeling alright?" Natalie asks. Mark and Jimmy nod slowly.

"Yep. I'm feeling my almighty self again." Jimmy says proudly.

"Same here but...Natalie…" Mark pauses, looking at his friend's ears. "Your ears...They're healed, too."

"O-Oh...Yeah...um..." Natalie laughs nervously.

After Natalie tells Jimmy and Mark about the whole situation, the two become shocked.

"Wh-What!? You healed our wounds and yourself!? And you don't even know how!?" The two Pokemon yell, leading the Zorua to pout.

"Hey! No need to yell all the time!" She says before sighing. "And yeah, apparently...I don't know how I'm doing this."

"Hmm...that's quite odd. But whatever it is, it's a nice little gift you've got there, Natalie." Mark says, smiling warmly. Natalie smiles back, looking away.

"Hehe. Thanks."

Lucas elbows Anna teasingly. "I think we have some love Delibirds here." Lucas whispers. Anna raises her brow at him.

"What? Oh don't be silly, Lucas. They're just kids. They can't fall in love that fast. They don't even know what love is." Lucas tears up, gazing at Anna.

"B-But it would be nice to see those two get together, you know!" The Furret sniffles.

Anna roll her eyes. "Oh whatever." As Iris begins to stretch, her stomach started to growl. Everyone looks at her, blinking in confusion.

"...Well then." The Dragonite says, feeling a bit embarrassed as everyone chuckles at her.

"Wow. Didn't know that you were hungry this whole time, Iris." Anna giggles.

"Yeeeah, pretty much…" Iris looks at Wyvern. "Since the three of them are fully healed, we'll be out of the Noctis Village now."

"But it's getting late." Wyvern states.

"Hmm? It is?"

Iris and her crew go to look outside, noticing the sun going down.

"Oh. I didn't even realized that." Iris blinks as Wyvern chuckles humbly.

"Yeah. Plus, you and your friends just got here. You sure you wanna leave right away?"

Iris thinks for a moment, remembering what the Empoleon told her about the constant commotion happening in the village. She then sighs afterwards. "I suppose I won't mind staying here for awhile." Wyvern smiles at the response.

"Good."

Iris turns toward Jimmy, Mark and Natalie. "Hey, I'd rented a home here so...Wanna come over and stay?" The three Pokemon immediately nod.

"Sure!" The three reply. Iris smiles warmly at them.

"Alright then. Let's go, shall we?"

As soon as everyone begins to follow the Dragonite out of the medic home, Natalie suddenly stops within her track. A serpentine figure with six ghost-like streamers flashes before her eyes, causing her to pant heavily and look a bit terrified. Anna stops as the others move forward, looking at the Zorua.

"Is something wrong, Natalie?" Anna asks. Wyvern, the Emboars and the Clefables notice the look on Natalie's face, too.

"Yes? Something wrong, little Zorua?" Wyvern also asks. Natalie looks up at the Ninetales and Empoleon, shaking her head.

"Nothing. Just...a bit cold, that's all." Natalie answers. Anna and Wyvern blink from the Zorua's response before sighing in relief.

"Well, stand by me then." Anna says, smiling softly. "I'll keep you warm in no time." Natalie smiles back and follows the Ninetales happily, staying close to her.

While outside, Iris talks with Ego next to his home as the others wait at their home. Anna decides to walk towards her, the Zorua following along in curiosity. Iris and Ego then look at the two Pokemon.

"Hey, Iris. What are you and Ego chatting about?" Anna asks.

"Well since I'm hungry like a Snorlax, I've decided to gather some Oran berries to cook and ask Ego if he wanted to com-"

"Whoa! Whoa! Wait wait! You know how to cook?" Anna interrupts. Iris blinks at her confusedly.

"Yeah...You didn't know that?"

"No, I didn't know that at all. In fact, we've been traveling on the damn ship a lot because of such. What did you expect?"

Iris and Natalie chuckle from the Ninetales response. "Welp, now you know. Heh." Iris then sighs in relief. "Anyway, I asked Ego if he and Carly wanted to come over for dinner and he said yes."

"Oh. Alright, the-Who's Carly?" Anna shoots Iris a serious look.

"Um, she's an Arbok I met when I was a Dragonair...About her, um…" Iris scratches the back of her head, a bead of sweat forming by the side of her face.

Anna raises her brow in concern. "What about her?"

"She's...' _special_ '. That's all you need to know." Ego says with a wink. Anna blinks at the Slowking, sweatdropping awkwardly.

"You don't say…"

. . .

Mostly everyone gathers at the dining table, with Iris instead being in the kitchen stirring some Oran berries in a pot with a spoon. Anna, Jimmy, Mark, and Natalie are sitting on the right side of the table while Ashen, Lucas, Ego and Carly are sitting on the left; Mark next to Natalie, Natalie next to Jimmy, Jimmy next to Anna, Ashen next to Lucas, Lucas next to Carly, and Carly next to Ego. They all socialize with each other, introducing themselves and such.

"So you were known as the Daredevil Slowking back in the Crater Grassland?" Anna asks curiously.

Ego nods. "Yes. Due to my traveling instincts, I was bound to do the unexpected." The Slowking replies with a smile. "Iris, remember the time when a little Dratini was trapped in the well I couldn't fit in?" He looks at the Dragonite, who seems to be close to finishing her cooking.

Iris nods her head in response to the Slowking. "Yeah. Then you went in to save that poor boy, anyway." She says with a sweatdrop. In her mind, she receives an image of Ego getting stuck in the well while Maza and Lawrence tried to pull him out. "To this day, I still don't get how you managed to save him despite not fitting in the well."

Ego chuckles softly and waves his nails around in motion. "Magic."

"Tauros crap, Ego." The Dragonite sweatdrops some more, frowning at the Slowking as he laughs. Carly blinks confusedly before staring at Ego.

"Wait, you'd done that before?" The Arbok asks, tilting her head to the side while rubbing her tail against her head.

"Yes Carly, my dear companion. I told you this before back in Miracle Town, remember?" Ego answers her.

Carly looks up at the ceiling and thinks for a few moments before gasping. "Oooh right! I remember now!" She then shrugs awkwardly afterwards. "I need to get better at remembering things more often." Anna raises her brow at the Arbok as Iris stares off to the side.

"You _should_ , to be honest." Iris mumbles to herself, turning off the stove and grabbing about nine plates from the cabinet. As she prepares their dinner, Lucas looks at the Arbok, his arm on the table.

"So...What's a lovely looking lady like you doing here?" Lucas says in a smooth tone, leading Ashen and Anna to look at him in a curious manner. Carly blinks at the Furret before giggling at the question.

"Oh just traveling with my mentor as usual. Exploring new places and learning some historic things about the world we're living in, that's all...Even though I tend to forget about them at times, heh heh." Carly replies, smiling warmly at the Furret as Iris brings the plates to the table. "What about you, sweetie?"

"Oh me? Well I'm just being the brave, heroic leader of the traveling group as always, you know." The Furret smirks and winks at the Arbok, leading her to blush softly.

"Oooh, you don't say?"

"Yes, I do say." Carly giggles at the Furret as Anna and Ashen look at each other, a confused expression spreading across their faces.

"Um, Lucas. You weren't brave and heroic to begin with, you know?" Ashen says, catching onto Lucas' lies. "In fact, I'm certain that Carly knows, too."

"Yeah. The only person I know of being close to that is Iris..." Anna says as the others begin to eat their food. Lucas stares at the two and puts his paw against his mouth.

"Shhh! You trying to call me out, mate!?" Lucas whispers in a intense tone.

"Uh, yeah I a-"

"Hey now. Even if he's not those things, I'm certain that Lucas can become them someday. Hehe." Carly interrupts the Ninetales, nuzzling against Lucas' cheeks. Lucas blushes from the nuzzle before staring at Anna.

"Y-Yeah, like she said!" He adds on, feeling confident about himself. During the nuzzle, Carly looks at Anna to reveal what seems to be a deleterious smile, leading Anna to feel uncomfortable.

"R-Riiight…" Anna sweatdrops before looking down at her meal and taking a bite off from the berry. _Why do I get the feeling that she's...not right up there…?_

Iris goes to sit next to the Ninetales with her plate and starts to eat her berry as well. Jimmy shakes his head, munching on his berry in delight. "Mm, mm. Man this berry taste so delicious!" The Heracross exclaims happily. "With the juice gushing out from the bite being latched onto it and the crunchy effects being added to signify its deliciousness!"

Lucas and Carly both looks at the Heracross confusedly. "What?" The two say, tilting their heads cutely at him. Jimmy looks at the Dragonite, his mind being clouded with eagerness.

"My fellow companion, Iris, I must know what these kinds of Oran berries are." Jimmy requests.

"Well, they're called Fryin' Ready Berries. You pour any kinds of berries inside of a pot filled with water, boil them up, and stir them around for a few hours or so." Iris explains while shrugging in a uneasy manner. "It may sound easy to do but it takes a lot of time and patience to cook them right. If you cook them too early, they won't be fried. If you cook them too late, they'll be burnt."

"I see."

"I personally prefer cooking the Oran berries because they're normally less time consuming and easy to time them being fried."

"Hmm. Very interesting to know that."

"Mmm, yeah! With these tasting so good, I might want to cook one myself!" Mark joins in the conversation, nodding at the two.

"Same here!" Natalie follows along. Lucas blinks for a moment before staring at his plate.

"Oh snap! I almost forgot to gobble down my favorite dish!" Lucas yells, instantly stuffing his face down onto the plate and starts eating. Ashen and Carly snicker at the Furret's eating behavior as Iris and Anna become disgusted by it.

"Dude, we're bloody eating here!" Anna shouts, leading the others to laugh as well. Natalie looks at Jimmy and taps his arm to get his attention.

"Hey Jimmy, I just wanted to say, thanks for saving me and Mark at the Noctis Forest." She says with a warm smile.

Jimmy smiles back. "You're welcome." He replies. Ashen and Lucas soon catch their eyes towards the Heracross, some bits of berry sliding down from Lucas' mouth during so.

"Wait, you helped those two younglings?" Ashen asks curiously, leading the others to look at Jimmy.

Jimmy nods. "Yes. It was quite intense trying to save Mark and Natalie from those evil Malamars. With me punching and kicking and grabbing those no good monsters, giving them the justice they deserve." Jimmy lifts his arms up and flexes them in a manly manner.

"Oh wow! That's pretty brave of you, mate!" Lucas replies.

"Yeah!" Ashen agrees. Jimmy then looks down at his plate.

"Although…" Jimmy pauses for a moment before looking at Mark. "I did failed to save this boy's sister…" Mark stops his berry from entering his mouth, looking at it melancholy. "I regret not saving her in time...Sorry, Mark."

"..." Mark puts his berry down on the plate. "I...feel like sleeping now. I'm no longer hungry." The Riolu says, scooting his chair back and walks out of the dining area.

Natalie has her ears down before scooting her chair back as well. "S-Same here." She replies, hopping off from the chair and follows Mark immediately. "M-Mark, wait!"

Ashen and Lucas look at each other, Lucas' ears being down to signify his sorrow. "Oh...That's...sad." Lucas says, looking at Jimmy.

Carly blinks curiously, her face forming worriedness all over the place. "M-Mind telling me what happened to that Riolu's sister?" She asks.

Jimmy sighs. "Well, you see…" Jimmy goes to explain the situation with Carly and the others before she gasps.

"That's absolutely terrible!" The Arbok exclaims.

"Yes, it is…" Soon, everything becomes quiet for a moment. No one talking nor eating their food during the brief long silence.

"You know, it's best if we change the subject to end our dinner off on a light note rather than a dark note." Ego suggests, having his hands behind his back. Iris and Anna nod at the Slowking in agreement.

"Yeah, we should." The Dragonite says. Soon, everyone else continues on with their dinner and forms conversations with each other.

. . .

Night begins to set as the full moon shines upon the village. Everyone seems to be in their homes sleeping peacefully. The crew, Jimmy, Natalie and Mark are in the bedroom while Iris sleeps in the living room alone. Lucas and Ashen share the first bed, Natalie and Mark share the second, and Anna and Jimmy are on the floor. Anna yawns as Jimmy stretches, the two preparing to nap.

"Man I wished the dinner lasted a little longer. Those fried Oran berries were some delicious, mmm." Jimmy says, rubbing his belly.

Anna nods. "Yeah. I'm still shocked that she can cook, let alone cooking this well." Anna sighs in relief. "I guess she had some cooking lessons at her hometown."

"I guess so, heh heh." Jimmy leans against the wall. "And also, that Ego guy and the Arbok are quite the interesting Pokemon."

"Well Ego, yes. Carly...is a different story." Anna laughs quietly and awkwardly. Jimmy blinks at her peculiarly.

"What about Carly?"

"Well...Carly is like the female version of Lucas, which creeps me out. And also the fact that she...is mysterious. Like, something about her isn't right."

"Well, how would you know?"

"I don't know, but I can tell that she isn't normal. Judging by the way Ego and Iris reacted when we first met her at the front door. Her eyes just glew pure white and was ready to attack us at any moment. Thankfully, Iris and Ego calmed her down."

"Yeeeah...You weren't lying about that."

The two laugh quietly while sweatdropping and looking off to the side. "Yeah and also how the way she smiled at me during dinner…" Anna forms an concern look on her face. "That smile of hers' makes me think she's... _detrimental_ , in a way." The Ninetales shakes her head. "I don't know, it's just...uncomfortable, that's for sure."

Jimmy puts his claw against his chin. "Hmm...I see."

Anna shrugs. "Well hey, at least she took a liking towards Lucas, speaking of which. Ashen and Lucas knew her well and Lucas seemed to have some kind of...love chemistry going on with her. Ha."

"Heh, correct. Despite munching away on my food, I did listen to their conversation. With all honesty, I can see the two getting along well if they decided to, you know, date."

"An Arbok? Dating an Furret? Pfft, no way. She's probably thinking about eating him while we're not around."

Jimmy shrugs. "Why yes, that can be a possibility. But society is improving itself on preventing any Pokemon from being eaten despite the predator and prey thing still going on and about. Laws was formed just for that reason...At least, from what I know of. And besides, Lucas knew her for awhile, it seems. So I don't think she's been planning on eating him since then."

"Hmm...I guess you have a point there." Anna stretches cutely before yawning once more. "I'll tease him about it, though. Just to make him angry and all, hehe." She giggles so sinisterly as the Heracross shakes his head with a smile. Then suddenly, the two hear Ashen and Lucas groaning and gaze at them.

"Bro, scoot over." Ashen says, his eyes remaining shut.

"No, you scoot over. You have more space than me." Lucas replies, his body covering parts of Ashens'. Ashen then opens his eyes slightly and looks off the edge.

"I'm literally _this_ close to falling off the bed. Can you please scoot over?"

"Huh?" Then Lucas pushes Ashen off unintentionally. Ashen lands onto the ground, groaning uncomfortably as Lucas spreads his body out freely and purrs. "Ah, much better."

Ashen scratches the back of his head and glares at the Furret. "For you but not for me!" He is then met by Anna and Jimmy's hush.

"You idiot. The two kids are trying to sleep." Anna says.

"Sorry." Ashen glances at Lucas. "The special Furret took over our kingdom, AKA the bed he and I shared."

"Okay. Sleep on the floor like you always do when we sail." Ashen mumbles and curls up, slowly beginning to sleep. Anna sighs calmly. "Well goodnight to you too, Ashen." She roll her eyes and lowers her head.

Jimmy yawns and shut his eyes before saying, "Welp, goodnight Anna.".

"Goodnight, Jimmy."

Then the two Pokemon proceed to sleep.

Later that day, midnight arrives. Mark begins to shift around in bed, thinking about what Iris told him back in the Noctis Forest. Then he wakes up and rub his eyes, looking to see Natalie sleeping soundly beside him. _Natalie looks adorable when she's asleep._ He thinks, smiling at the Zorua. _I hope that you're having an amazing dream right now, Natalie._ He then gets off of the bed and exits the room.

In the living room, Iris slouches all over the couch like a lazy hobo. Barely any room is left to sleep in it because of her. Mark sees her and walks towards her, pushing the Dragonite on the arm gently.

"Iris. Iris." The Riolu says quietly. Iris groans softly and shifts to the side.

"No Astona. I don't need another day of training again…" She grumbles in her sleep. Mark raises his brow.

 _Astona? Who in the world is that?_ Mark thinks. He huffs and climbs onto the couch, reaching onto Iris' body. He then makes it to her head and taps on it repeatedly. "Iris, wake up."

The Dragonite growls, annoyed by the tapping as she opens her eyes. She glares at Mark as if he's done something wrong. "What is it, kid? Can you see it's the middle of the night?" She says, rubbing her eyes slightly.

"Well, it's just that...I wanted to talk to you about something."

"About what?"

Mark hops off from the Dragonite before continuing speaking. "About what you said to me at the Noctis Forest. The, um…"

Iris blinks for a moment before remembering. "Oh. You mean the Weapon Mischief?" Mark snaps his finger.

"Yeah! Can you tell me about them? Like...what are they exactly? I-I mean, you told me to handle my Weapon Mischief...which is my bow thingie, right?"

Iris sighs. "Pretty much. I guess I'll tell you what they are, since you eagerly want to know about them." Iris clears her throat. "A Weapon Mischief is an object that acts like a Marvel Mischief but different. Now if you don't know what a Marvel Mischief is, it's an object that enables us to think of two moves and combine them into one. This move is known as a Mixturing Move. We can only have one Mixturing Move and will stick with that move forever until we decide to get rid of our Marvel Mischief. At least, what I think anyway. An example of a Marvel Mischief would be my necklace." Iris shows Mark the crystalline necklace and Mark forms an amazed look on his face.

"Wow. Do all Marvel Mischiefs look like this?"

"Not all of them. Marvel Mischiefs may look like a scarf, wristband, or earrings. Who knows? Marvel Mischief could look like any sort of things."

"Wow. I see now." Mark seems intrigued by what he learned.

"Now back to Weapon Mischiefs, they're...what the name implies-weapons. The kinds of objects you use in combat. Take your bow for an example; You used it against Alro and the others to defend yourself, correct?" Mark nods. "Now then, for a Weapon Mischief, instead of thinking of two moves to combine into one, you have to think of a 'Weapon Move'."

Mark tilts his head slightly. "Weapon Move?"

"Yes. A Weapon Move is a move only accessible from a Weapon Mischief. It has no typing so it's pretty much super effective against any Pokemon."

Mark gasps in surprise. "R-Really? That's dangerous."

"Indeed. That's why I told you to handle your Mischief. Because if you don't, not only you'll harm others around you but also yourself, too." Mark shakes a bit, thinking about the consequences. "Anyway, Weapon and Marvel Mischief both share the common Move phase effects. If you stay under it for too long, your life will be drained and you'll likely die from it."

"O-Oh dear...I-I hope you don't get under that phase for long, Iris…"

Iris chuckles softly. "Same to you, kid."

"S-So if I may ask, how can you tell if the object is a Marvel or a Weapon Mischief?"

"Simple. If the object looks like a weapon then it's an automatic Weapon Mischief. If the object looks like an accessory then there's a chance that it may or may not be a Marvel Mischief. The only real thing to tell is if the object is glowing." Mark gasps a bit.

 _So the bow I picked up is a Weapon Mischief because of it glowing..._

"Although, I did get mine from my father when it wasn't glowing...Maybe he found it on the ground somewhere before he gave it to me. That might be the reason."

"Wait, that's where you got your Marvel Mischief from?"

Iris nods. "Yeah. Anna got her Marvel Mischief from an island the crew and I explored."

"Oooh. So even Lucas' eye patch is a Marvel Mischief?"

"No. That's just a regular eye patch."

"...Oh…"

Iris chuckles once more. "So, anything else you wanted to ask?"

"Yeah, um...Is it easy to obtain a Weapon Mischief and a Marvel Mischief?"

"Weapon, yes. Marvel, no. Marvel Mischiefs are hard to find, due to a Pokemon named Mewtwo splitting them apart four hundred years ago. I'd known about this thanks to my father and some books I read back in the Crater Grassland."

"Oh...Well, how did that happen?"

"Well…"

After Iris tells Mark the whole backstory, Mark's eyes grow wide and he quivers in fear.

"M-Man, that's s-scary…"

"I know…"

"S-So...o-one more question, is there a way we can have a Marvel Mischief and a Weapon Mischief at the same time?"

"Well, one of my guardians, Maza, told me that most Pokemon think it's impossible to obtain two Mischiefs at once but she believes that it's possible...It'll just have a huge effect to it, that's all…"

"Hmm...I wonder what that effect could be."

"Same here…" The Dragonite then yawns tiredly. "Well anyway, a few more things I gotta tell you. While having a Marvel Mischief, you can use your moves whenever you like in battle but not with the Weapon Mischief. With Weapon, you're only limited to use your moves three times during battle. So be careful whenever you use your elemental moves."

Mark gulps. "Will do...Anyway, goodnight Iris."

Iris smiles. "Goodnight, Mark." Mark soon walks back to the bedroom as the Dragonite closes her eyes.

. . .

Two days pass as Iris and the gang are at the port, having their things packed and ready to go. Wyvern and his Emboars are there as well, escorting the crew. Jimmy, Mark and Natalie are beside the Empoleon as Iris smiles at him.

"Well, it's been fun staying in the Noctis Village. Hopefully you'll resolve your issues in the village, mayor." Iris says. Wyvern laughs softly.

"No need to worry. My loyal Noctis guards will sharply watch over the village this time." Wyvern says, smiling back.

"I see. Glad to hear that, mayor." She then nods her head. "Alright then. We'll take our leave now."

Mark suddenly whimpers to catch the crew's attention. "W-Wait!" The Riolu yells. Iris blinks curiously, looking at him.

"Yeah?"

"C-Can we...c-come along with you...pl-please?" Natalie nods, agreeing with the Riolu.

"Yeah! Can we? Please?" Natalie says, pleading along. Mark and her both gazes at Iris with sad cute faces.

"U-Uh...you have Jimmy with you so you two shou-"

"Actually, I was looking for a place to live in as well." Jimmy says, interrupting the Dragonite. "Plus, I'm getting tired of drinking sap from trees everyday. Sure they taste good, but I wanted to try something different, you know? Something to let my tastebud expand beyond the saps. Such as those fried Oran berries I had two days ago, heh heh." Iris scratches the side of her head.

"Oh...You don't...say...ha ha." Iris smiles awkwardly. She then looks at Ashen, Lucas and Anna. "What do you guys think?"

Ashen and Lucas nod immediately. "I don't mind at all. Plus, I like that Jimmy fella. He's so courageous and heroic." Ashen says, smiling.

"Same here, mate." Lucas agrees. Jimmy smirks proudly.

"Heh. Thanks for the compliment, you two." The Heracross says with pride. The Linoone and Furret give Jimmy a thumbs up with joy spreading across their faces.

"And what about you?" Iris asks, staring at the Ninetales. Anna looks at her and shrugs.

"Eh, sure. As long as they don't try to do anything sneaky, then I'm totally fine with them." Anna answers. Iris nods and looks at the three Pokemon.

"Well, it's official. You three can come along with us. Welcome aboard!"

The three Pokemon grow gleeful and jump repeatedly, giving each other high fives. "Yaay!" The three Pokemon say happily. Wyvern looks at the three, a bead of sweat forming by the side of his face.

"Now now. We are on the port so try not to get too wild before this boardwalk breaks…" Wyvern says, slowly looking at his guards. "I don't want the Noctis guards to freak out or... _die_ because of the ocean water." The Emboars raise their brow at the Empoleon, feeling quite intimidated. Wyvern laughs at them nervously and awkwardly before looking back at the crew. Mark and the other two then walk on board the Iris' ship eagerly. Iris is about to set sail until Wyvern stops her. "Hold on just a second, Iris. I need to talk to you privately, real quick. It won't take long. Trust me."

Iris looks at her crewmates for a moment as they shrug at her. She then looks back at Wyvern. "Alright then." The Dragonite flies off the ship and lands next to Wyvern. "What do you need to chat with me about?"

"...I know that you and your crewmates are pirates." The Empoleon whispers.

Iris' eyes widen a bit as she glances at the Empoleon. "Was it obvious...?"

"Err, not too obvious...Well, the ship itself did gave it away."

Iris looks at her ship, seeing how its design looks like and puts her hand towards her face. _Dammit, Lucas. I told you not to put the Dragonite statue in front of the ship…_

"Don't worry though. I won't report your crew to the O.P. government."

Iris raises her brow at the Empoleon. "And why's that?"

"Because not only did you save those three injured Pokemon from the forest but also you and your crew stop those Crusaders from destroying our village. So in return, I won't report you."

"Wow, um...Thank you, Mayor Wyvern."

Wyvern lets out a soft laugh. "No no, thank you for doing those two good things for us. It brings me hope on fixing the issues in this village." He smiles at the Dragonite. "Continue this habit and maybe someday, you'll become something that no one ever was."

Iris smiles at Wyvern and nods. Then she flies back to the ship and looks at Ashen and Lucas. "You two know what to do."

Ashen and Lucas nod at Iris and salute. "Yes ma'am!" The two Pokemon say as Ashen goes to pilot the ship. Lucas is about to climb up the pole until Iris grabs him by the back.

"Not so fast, Lucas."

"Huh?" Lucas looks at her confusedly. Iris turns him around and gives him a threatening look.

"Remove the Dragonite statue as soon as we're further away from the village. Understood?" Iris whispers to Lucas aggressively.

"B-But I worked my tail off creating that statue with Ashen! I don't want my hard work to go to waste, mate!" Lucas says, tears streaming down endlessly.

"It's your fault for making it big and putting it in front of the ship instead of, I don't know, _putting it in the back?_ "

"M-My fault!? YOU said you wanted it in front."

Iris blinks embarrassingly at him and sighs. "No...I said anywhere _but_ the front. And you made it big, anyway. So we can't even sash it in the room if we wanted to. Now, remove it or so help me, you won't like the consequences." The Dragonite glares at him deadly. Lucas nods immediately, a silly smile on his face as tears raining down from his eyes.

"R-Roger that, mate."

Iris then lets go of the eye-patched Furret and waves at Wyvern. Mark and Natalie wave at the Empoleon as well, the Empoleon waving back in return. "Bye! We hope to see you next time, mayor!"

"I wish you the best of luck, Iris!" Wyvern yells.

"You too, mayor!" Iris yells back, smiling in relief.

As the ship sets sail, Ego and Carly watch it from their home. Everyone else in the village is either minding their own business or seeing the ship shift away.

"Aww. I'm going to miss those guys. We had such a lovely meal two daysss ago, especially with Irisss and...What're the others' namesss again?" Carly asks.

"Anna, Lucas, Jimmy, Ashen, Natalie and...Mark?" Ego says, making sure of himself.

"Yeah. Those guysss. Especially the handsomesss looking Furret, Lucas. I alwaysss enjoy chatting with him and how he tried to flirt with me every time we meet each other." Carly giggles as she blushes, her tail being against her face in response. "Such a cutie he isss." Ego sighs in relief.

"Heh. I was paying attention to you two's conversation while eating. That Furret's flirting was comedy gold when I see one." Ego laughs to himself.

Carly tilts her head curiously at the Slowking. "Then how comesss you didn't laugh?" Carly asks.

Ego looks back at the Arbok. "Was too busy stuffing my mouth with Iris' scrumptious Fryin' Ready Berries. Laughing at his flirtiness would cause me to choke on my food, you know?"

"Oh. Okaysss then."

"And by the way, you're hissing in your words again." Ego points out, chuckling to himself.

The Arbok hisses cutely while smiling. "Sorrysss, Ego. I sometimesss tend to do thatsss often. And also because of, well...you know..." She giggles once more, covering her face with her tail while blushing.

"Heh, it's fine. I understand your feelings towards him." Ego smiles back. "Also, I'm a bit surprised that you would take a liking to a Pokemon like him, judging by the fact that your species would normally eat his kind."

"Well, if I wanted some meat, I could just get myself some of those Meat Productsss the, what's their name, government made for the carnivorousss Pokemon. Plus, I love those products. I wonder what they're made of, anyway?"

"Probably just something that makes it taste like meat. How should I know?"

Carly sighs. "Oh well. And besidesss, Lucas isss too much of a dashing cutie to eat." Carly giggles once more. Ego shakes his head while smiling.

"Oh Carly. You're quite silly just like him." Ego chuckles to himself happily. Then all of a sudden, a green blob-like figure starts hopping from building to building. Ego notices the blob hopping once more, jumping high in the air and lands onto Iris' ship. "Huh!?"

Carly looks at Ego, tilting her head a bit. "What's wrong?"

"I think I saw something landing onto Iris' ship. I'm not sure what it was but I'll tell Iris through telepathy later. Right now, I'm in the mood to play checkers again."

"Oh-Hey, I hate that game!" Carly looks at Ego grumpily. "So much thinking iss involved. And I already have to think on the historical stuff I learn to begin with!"

Ego looks back at her. "Oh don't worry, it'll involve elemental moves this time. Just try not to put too much power into your Crunch move like you did last time, okay?" He sweatdrops.

"Okay!"

Ego and Carly then head inside of their home.

. . .

Meanwhile, in the dark wasteland, Alro and the five Malamars walk down a pathway. The Mismagius follows them elegantly as the pathway lead them to a group of six Pokemon.

The first being a Malamar with a purple wristband around her wrist. The second being a pale green serpentine creature with red narrow eyes and having patterns throughout his body: Serperior. The third being a brown bear-like creature with light tan muzzle and is holding a Flame Orb in his hand: Ursaring. The fourth being a bipedal poison frog-like creature with a red vocal sac and is wearing a Black Belt around his waist: Toxicroak. The fifth being a vaguely humanoid creature with his body being the color red and yellow and has tubular arms: Magmortar. And lastly the sixth Pokemon being a mammal-based creature with light blue fur and has a red wristband around her forepaw: Glaceon.

Alro grins at the six Pokemon. "So you must be Clemence and the special team master's referring to, right?" Alro asks. The female Malamar looks at him and nods.

"Yes I am, indeed." Clemence says gracefully. "Master sent you here for our help, I assume?"

"Yes. But I would like to recognize your special team members first before we get to such."

"Ah, yes. It would be rude of me if I didn't introduce them." Clemence stares at her team. "My lovely squads of the Supernova Gale, would you care to introduce yourselves to our other members?" The Ursaring spins his flame orb on the tip of his finger as if it were a basketball.

"I'll go first." The Ursaring says eagerly, showing a cocky expression. He stops the spinning and throws the Flame Orb in the air, gazing at Alro with his arms fold. "The name is Reckless and I'm all about powerhouse. Tearing shit up, basically." The Ursaring then catches the flame orb with no problem. "I joined the Supernova Gale because I love being sadistic to other Pokemon. Watching them beg for their lives to be spared, only to see them get killed off afterwards." Reckless then laughs afterwards. "It's like they expected a guy like me to let them live so easily! It's hilarious!" Alro blinks in surprise before chuckling himself.

"One in the same, aren't we? I like you already, Reckless." Alro says while smirking.

"Same here, bud. Haha. Plus I have a thing for fighting. Just something about beating the shit out of someone really pumps me up and makes me feel happy about myself whenever I get down."

"Huh. I see then."

Then the Magmortar steps forward for his spotlight. "I'll go next. The name's Lance but I rather prefer you all to call me 'Corruption' because I knew that I was born to be corrupted and psychotic. It's the reason why I killed my parents in cold blood and burned everyone else in my hometown. I joined the Supernova Gale because I didn't have anywhere to go at that point. Plus, I don't mind burning more lives in pleasure because fire...is such a beautiful thing once you've seen them ignite on one another, you know?" The Magmortar says calmly. Alro blinks shockingly, grinning afterwards. The Serperior looks at the Magmortar and sighs.

"Wow. And you sound so calm about it." Alro says, clapping his hands in approval. "Although, the most beautiful thing to me is still the color red. Hence why I enjoy seeing blood being splatter at a young age." Clemence looks at Alro, curiosity spreading throughout her head from what he said.

"I mean, fire is sorta the color red so…"

"But fire mostly looks like yellow and orange combined together so…" Alro snaps his tendril-hands. "Your point is invalid."

Corruption looks at the Malamar and shrugs in a uncaring manner. "Eh, whatever floats your boat."

"Also, this place is called the Corruption Realm and, well, your name is _Corruption_. Maybe you technically own this realm. Eh? Eh?" Alro says in a joking manner.

Corruption shifts a bit. "It...seems like you were trying to make a joke out of that name of mine...No one's laughing though." Suddenly, Reckless burst out in laughter, making everyone else sweatdrop. "Well...besides him, of course."

"Hahahaha! Good one, dude!" Reckless says, continuing his rude laughter. Then the Serperior sighs and slithers next to the Ursaring, causing him to stop.

"Guess I'll be next." The Serperior says, clearing his throat. "The name's Sebastian. I am a traitor to my family in the Solar Village after leaving it to rot in flames. That's when I've joined the Supernova Gale." Alro claps his scythe-like hands softly and nods.

"Not bad, not bad." Alro says, admiring the Serperior as his group of Malamars clap along. After that, the Glaceon steps forward, being next to Sebastian. She gives the group quite the stern and bold look.

"The name is Diana but you can refer to me as 'Dead Snow'. I'm known for stealing things and fooling others to get what I want. I joined the Supernova Gale after my sister was killed by my brother and my life holding nothing but betrayals and grudges." The Glaceon says.

"I see...and about your brother, did you kill him?" Alro asks. Dead Snow looks at him straight in the eyes.

"Yes, I did. In cold-blooded hatred."

Alro grins. "Much like it. Mmhmm. Revenge is like tasting a sweet candy and sucking it dry. Your target _is_ that candy. Remember that, dear." Alro then looks at the Toxicroak, who is staring at the dark skies. "And what about you, Toxicroak? Who might you be?" Everyone glances at the Toxicroak, him sighing as he lifts his arm up.

A scar is shown running across his arm as he speaks. "My name is...Nexus…" He heavily sighs once more before continuing. "I wish that everyone on Solark...can perish...before master recreates it. And when he recreates it...I want to see him...change the universe as well…" The Toxicroak then stares at his scar. "I want to see master expand upon his goal to make his dream better than what he already had in mind…" Nexus goes to look at Alro and the others, getting up from the ground while doing so. "I joined the Supernova Gale because...those monsters in Solark...killed my true love...and no one gave a single damn about it...How I got this scar on my arm...was from those who killed her…"

"Hmm. Sad...but an interesting thing on why you joined." Alro claps once more. "Alright then. My name's Alro and like Reckless said, I like being sadistic as well. I remember seeing blood being spread from my parents when they were killed right in front of me. It made me appreciate the color red more because of that incident." Alro sighs in relief. "It's the only reason why I joined this secret organization to begin with."

"Really? I joined here because Misstrike told me that I get paid a lot here. Knowing how much I adore Pokedollars, I couldn't let that opportunity pass. And thankfully, she's right." Clemence says, grinning deviously. "I'm curious on how she has the monies, though."

The Mismagius giggles at Clemence's comment. "Well that's a secret I decide not to tell." Misstrike, the Mismagius, says with a wink.

Clemence blinks, processing her thoughts. "I see...And by the way, we have more members here. They're just not with us at the moment. Busy training or doing other things, I suppose."

"Alright. Now, let's not get off track here. As I am here to tell you guys the assignment our master wants us to do." Alro says, rubbing his hands together.

"Sure. Let's hear it."

"Okay. He wants us to hunt down three Marvel Mischiefs and a Weapon Mischief from a specific Riolu. Now the thing I don't understand is...Where in the world can we find three Marvel Mischiefs?"

"Well, Misstrike is able to sense any Marvel Mischiefs locations, right?" Clemence looks at the Mismagius. Misstrike looks to the side mysteriously.

"Just...specific ones. Not all of them." The Mismagius says softly. Dead Snow raises her brow at her, concerning about what she said.

"Oh. Well, give us their locations please."

Misstrike nods. "As you wish." Then her eyes turn pure dark, leading Alro to back away a bit.

"Whoa. This is the first time I've seen your eyes looking like that, Misstrike." Alro says in amazement.

"Hehe. Thanks." Soon, Misstrike's eyes revert back to normal while looking at the others. "The three MMs seem to be located on a ship. I'm not sure if there's a WM with them but my best bet is to go after those MMs first." Alro nods.

"Then it's settled. Keep track of their location so that when they land to the next area, we can teleport there and attack them. Attacking them now would be risky, especially if we're in the middle of the sea."

Clemence nods. "Agreed. We should think like actual villains, not the ones that're bound to fail at their duties persistently." She says, giggling to herself. She then looks at her team. "Anyway, did you all understood the mission?"

"Yes ma'am!" The five Pokemon say. Clemence turns to gaze at Alro.

"I hope you're ready whenever that happens."

"Heh. I'm always ready to shed some blood on some innocent fools, me lady." Alro says, grinning deviously. Clemence giggles humbly at the Malamar.

"So psychotic and insane. Oh, I enjoyed that from a man like you." Clemence rubs Alro's shoulder gently, giggling some more.

Alro chuckles from the rub. "And you're welcome to encounter a man like me."

Soon, the scenery turns into darkness. Within the darkness, a deep, fiendish voice can be heard.

" _Natalie, my child. You will come home to me soon…_ "

 _End of Chapter 6._


	8. Chapter 7

_**Author's note: Apology for the long wait but here it is now, the new chapter. Hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think about it!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Meeting Cerise.**

'Welcome to Grace Forest. The friendliest forest yet!' Says the sign attached to a random tree. In the forest, Grass and Flying types roam around the area while some Water types swim in the lakes peacefully. They communicate with each other and relax throughout the entire scenery. Nearby the sign lies a feline creature with light blue skin colored at the front of her body (black at the rear back), large oval ears, and has yellow eyes: Shinx. The Shinx stares at what seems to be a Pokemon egg next to her, sighing in disbelief.

"Well this is great. After the battle between me and that blasted angel awhile back, my mistress and I got separated by her secret surprise attack!" The Shinx says, shaking her head. "And thus, how I met you, random egg." The Shinx tosses the egg up and catches it with her tail, looking at it. "I would leave you by the decaying log to rot, but I might need something to snack on later...Just to let you know." The Shinx then realizes what she's doing. "Why am I talking to an egg?" She looks up to the sky, lowering down her ears. "Maybe it's because this is the only thing I can talk to in this world…" The Shinx looks at the ground while mobbing, sighing heavily. "I miss you, mistress…"

Soon the Shinx blinks curiously before gasping in surprise. She paces around eagerly, looking in every direction. "I sense her! I sense my mistress nearby...I hope!" The Shinx then sets the egg onto her back, holding it with her tail. "Come on, egg! Time for me to reunite with her at long last!" The Shinx then takes off immediately, heading towards a village up ahead.

. . .

Iris' ship continue to sail across the Pirate Sea, Ashen steering the wheel while Mark and Jimmy help Lucas remove the statue in front of the ship. Inside of the room, Iris, Anna and Natalie are shown laughing during a conversation; Iris lying down on the right cot with her paws behind her head, Anna sitting on the left cot, and Natalie relaxing next to Anna.

"So why did Ego embarrass Maza like that?" Anna asks.

Iris snickers. "Maybe he just wanted to find her weakness. So shouting her crush on Lawrence out loud was one of them."

"Haha. I may do that when Lucas tries to hit on Carly again."

Iris blinks at the Ninetales. "Oh really?" The Dragonite says into curiosity. Natalie nods her.

"Yep! Haven't you seen the conversation he had with her?" Natalie says with a smirk.

"He clearly tried to impress her with his 'bravery' and 'heroic' ways, only to fail miserably when me and Ashen called him out." Anna comments with a giggle following along.

Iris smirks and shakes her head. "I see. So even till this day, he's still trying to hit on her, huh?" The Dragonite snickers once more.

"Yep! And from here on, I'll be teasing him about her planning to eat him." Anna says with a smug look on her face.

"Now that's just cruel."

The girls continue their gigglefest, all sighing in happiness at the end. Iris then takes her eyes on Natalie.

"So Natalie, you still don't remember how you heal yourself and the other two?" The Dragonite asks the Zorua. Natalie shakes her head.

"Not a thing...Sorry." Natalie says, looking down.

Iris sighs. "It's alright. We'll figure it out soon, okay?" The Zorua looks at Iris and nods. Anna cuddles the Zorua, making her feel comfortable.

"And by the way, Iris...I saw Mark carrying a bow after saving me from Alro but never questioned it...Nor did the others in the Noctis Village, now that I think about it..." Natalie shrugs awkwardly. "Weird...but anyway, I'm not so sure on what they are."

Iris blinks at the Zorua. "Oh. That. Well…" The Dragonite then goes to explain to Natalie about the existence of Weapon Mischief along with Marvel. The Zorua thinks for a moment before nodding.

"I see...They seem like pretty nifty objects!" Natalie says happily.

"Indeed, they are." Anna says, agreeing with the Zorua.

Meanwhile, Lucas and the other two begin their last push, removing the statue completely as it floats away. The three pant while Lucas sighs heavily.

"Well...there goes my...hard work..." Lucas says with tears building up in his eyes. Ashen sighs and rubs the Furret's back.

"It'll be fine, Lucas."

"B-But...my dedicated work. She asked us to build it for her since we first got this ship…" Lucas hits the side of the ship. "ONLY FOR HER TO TOSS IT AWAY LIKE IT WAS NOTHING!" Tears stream down like waterfalls as he whines. Ashen and the other two sweatdrop as they look at him. Lucas then sniffles and wipes the tears off from his face. _Someday, I'll get you back for this, Iris. I don't know how but I'll find a way!_ He thinks while Ashen continues to rub his back.

"Again, it'll be alright...Maybe next time we build something, it has to be...well...small." Ashen shrugs, unsure of what to say next. Lucas looks at the Linoone with puppy eyes.

"S-Sure, I guess…" Things become quiet for a moment before Lucas continues to speak. "A-Anyway, removing that thing was tough, mate."

Mark and Jimmy nod in agreement. "Yeah. Even for Fighting types like me and Mark, this statue is no joke when it comes to weight." Jimmy says with a laugh. "Took us like an hour in a half to get rid of that outrageous heavy thing!" Mark looks at the statue floating away, feeling uneasy about it.

"I-I hope that statue doesn't harm other travelers along the way…" The Riolu says, gulping afterwards. Lucas looks at him, scratching the side of his head while snickering.

"Heh. I'm sure that nothing bad will happen if they see the statue aiming towards their way." The eye-patched Furret says as Mark shrugs, sighing in relief. "Anyway, thanks for helping me get rid of the statue, you two. I could've done it all by myself, since I knew why Iris got mad at me for leaving it intact, heh heh…"

Mark blinks curiously. "And why's that?"

"Erm...because the statue was making it obvious that we're pirates...and we don't want any townsfolk potentially reporting us for it, heh heh…" Lucas sweatdrops while the other two blink at him, shocked to what he's said.

"Wait, you guys are pirates!?" Mark and Jimmy say, surprises filling throughout their bodies. Ashen holds his head down, hearing the conversation in front of him as he sails. Lucas smiles gleefully.

"Why yes we are, fellow mates!"

"Cool!" Mark says excitedly.

"Oh dear." Jimmy says worriedly. "Um, aren't pirates considered enemies of the O.P. government? Since most of them do criminal related activities?" The red scarfed Heracross asks, looking rather confused. Lucas scratches the side of his head.

"Uh...yeah." Lucas turns to look at Ashen.

"No matter how good they may be…the O.P. government would most certainly be biased on every single pirate. So yeah, we're considered their enemies despite not having done anything pirate related yet." Ashen says, shrugging awkwardly. Jimmy felt uneasy as Mark stares at the Linoone.

"That's not good." The Riolu winces.

"If that's the case, then I don't want to become a pirate." Jimmy says.

"Y-Yeah. I-I don't want to deal with those huge groups of Pokemon, if they really are a group." Mark trembles.

Lucas shrugs. "You...really have no choice, mate. Especially for you, Mark. You and Natalie have no one to take care of you besides us."

Mark stops trembling and sighs. "Yeah, you do got a p-point there…"

"And you chose to stay for the cooking, right Jimmy?" Lucas smiles, trying to enlighten the mood.

"Err...agreed, I guess. But I didn't expect us to become pirates just like that." Jimmy says, feeling more uneasy. "Feels rather forced, to be honest."

"Well, you're pirates now. Welcome aboard the crew. Hope you enjoy." Ashen says, having a bead of sweat by the side of his face before continuing to steer the wheel. Mark and Jimmy have the same sweat as well, looking at the Linoone in a very uneasy manner.

"Anyway, thanks again for helping me, you two." Lucas says with a smile.

"U-Um, you're welcome, Lucas..." Mark says, being a bit cautious.

"Call my name in case you need help on anything else." Jimmy says calmly but a bit cautiously as well.

"Will do, mate." Lucas replies. Then the two Pokemon go towards the ship's room calmly. Lucas stops by the pole holding up the mast and soon sees something moving from the top. "Hmm?" The Furret blinks. "Hey! Who goes there!?"

Within a flash, a green blob-like creature leaps off from the top, screaming as the creature lands on Lucas' face. Lucas makes some muffling sounds as he tries to get the blob off from him. Ashen whistles to himself, not hearing the drama going on behind him. Then his fluffy ear flickers to his brother's muffling of all sounds and sighs softly.

"Lucas, if this is another one of your antics, I'm not going to look." The Linoone says, continuing to steer. Lucas' muffling becomes louder and louder as he bumps against the pole. Ashen then turns around due to the bumping. "Alright. If this is a trick again, then I'll have to-" Ashen notices the situation and his eyes widen. "SAVE YOU ON A SWEET HONEY TRAIN! Lucas!" Ashen dashes to the Furret to help him as he tries to pull the green blob off but couldn't. "It's stuck!"

Mark and Jimmy stop for a moment, hearing the noises behind them. "You...hear that, young fella?" Jimmy asks.

Mark nods. "Yeah. I do." The two Pokemon then turn around, seeing Ashen trying to aid the Furret. They gasp and immediately rush to the situation.

Back to the room, Anna flickers her ears, hearing some muffled and grunted sounds coming from the outside. "Uhh. Do you two hear anything?" Anna asks. Natalie blinks at the Ninetales and yawns.

"I don't think so." She says, leaning her head down against Anna's back. Iris shakes her head.

"I don't hear anything, either." The Dragonite replies. Anna thinks for a moment.

"Huh. Could've sworn that I heard som-" Suddenly, Lucas' screams loudly, leading the three Pokemon to yelp and stare at the door.

Then the three rush out of the door to see Jimmy pulling the blob-like creature off, Mark tugging right behind him. Iris and the other two's eyes widens in confusion.

"The hell am I looking at?" Iris says, raising her brow.

Anna shakes her head slowly. "I have no idea of what's going on right now."

"Same…" Natalie says, cringing uncomfortably while sweatdropping.

Soon, Jimmy finally pulls the green blob off from Lucas' face, holding the creature while falling onto Mark. Lucas gasps for air, putting his paw on Ashen's shoulder.

"Oh my blimey! That felt like I was drowning. Like the time Octo and Pus were choking us, brother!" Lucas says, groaning uncomfortably. "Not being able to breathe...nor see the light of day...nor-"

"We get the point, Lucas." Anna says bluntly. Lucas looks at the Ninetales cutely as he chuckles nervously. Jimmy soon hears grunting sounds as the blob-like creature struggles to move.

"Hmm? Who's grunting?" Jimmy asks. He is then tapped by the side and looks behind him, seeing Mark being sat on.

"Th-That would be m-me." Mark says, groaning once more.

"Oh. My apologies, Mark." Jimmy gets off from the Riolu, letting him stretch in freedom.

Soon everyone looks at the creature, confused by its existence as the green blob remains restrained in Jimmy's grasp. Natalie taps on the Dragonite's leg.

"Hey Iris, what is that thing over there?" Natalie asks. Iris shakes her head.

"I don't know." She answers.

"What? I mean, don't you sorta know every single Pokemon species on Solark?" Anna says, blinking a bit confusedly. "Well, technically we all should know but still…" Iris shrugs in a unsure manner.

"Well, it's just that...I never seen that kind of Pokemon before. In fact, I don't know if it's even a Pokemon or what..." Iris says, scratching the side of her head.

"I mean, it looks like a Pokemon to me." Ashen says, shrugging.

"Hmm, I don't know...Maybe we should ask it." Iris walks towards the creature in Jimmy's grasp. The green blob stops struggling and looks at Iris, blinking curiously. "Hey. Who are you?"

The blob didn't say anything for a moment before speaking in a calm male voice. "I...I don't know who I am…"

"WHAT!?" Everyone says, shocked by the answer.

"Um...Do you at least know your name?" Mark asks. The blob shakes his head.

"I...don't recall having one."

Mark puts his hand against his chin, thinking curiously. "Hmm. Maybe he must have amnesia just like Natalie. When me and my sister first met her." Natalie gazes at the Riolu.

"Yeah but I know my name...he doesn't." Natalie says, making a point in the discussion.

"True."

Anna puts her paw underneath her chin, sitting rather calmly. "Hmm...How about we give him a name then?" Anna suggests. Everyone looks at her and nods.

"Yes. If the 'Pokemon' himself agrees with it." Ashen points out as he stares at the creature. "Are you?" The blob nods smoothly.

"I suppose so. Just to make things easier on all of us..." The blob says, smiling slightly.

Everyone soon begins to think up different names to call the blob. Lucas snaps his fingers after coming up with one.

"Green Blob of Doom will be his name, mateys!" He shouts. Everyone, even the blob-like creature, forms a bead of sweat by the side of their faces. Feeling rather embarrassed by the thought of such a name.

Anna shakes her head. "Hell no." Anna and Iris both say immediately.

"B-But it resembles who he is! He's a black spot, almost suffocating me!"

"No. We're not calling him a death threat because of the incident, Lucas." Iris says, squinting her eyes at the Furret. Lucas sighs heavily.

"Oh alright." Lucas looks away angrily, puffing his lips adorably. Anna squints her eyes at the Furret, giving him a stern look.

"Well, how about the name Greeny?" Natalie says. The four Pokemon cringe at the name.

"E-Erm...sounds silly, Natalie." Mark says, rubbing his arm.

"Oh…" Natalie looks down from the reactions.

"U-Um...not as silly and ridiculous as what Lucas suggested!"

Lucas glances at the Riolu and yells, "Oi! It was supposed to be a pirate name, for crying out loud, mate!" Natalie raises her brow and gazes at Lucas.

"A pirate name?" The Zorua asks.

"Yeah. Since we're pirates, mate!"

"Wait, you guys are pirates!?" Natalie's eyes widens a bit.

"Yeah...Forgot to mention that to ya, little Zorua…" Iris says, scratching the back of her head. She then looks at the blob-like creature, who seems to feel even more uneasy due to the conversation. "...Oh right, we were in the middle of giving you a name. Um…" Anna looks at Natalie.

"I'll explain everything later, Natalie. Right now, let's focus on him, alright?" Anna suggests. Natalie nods slowly with concerns.

"Okay…" She says.

"So anyways, how about the name Green Star? He kinda look like a star to me." Ashen says. Anna slowly stares at him, blinking with big concerns while raising her brow.

"Are you just...absorbing some of Lucas' stupidity now?" Anna says, glancing at the Linoone.

"Sorry...Just trying to think of something creative to say."

"And how does that thing look anything like a star to you!?" Anna points at the blob with one of her tails. Ashen shrugs in a uneasy manner.

"I mean, look at the red dot. It's like the sun, which _is_ a star!" Lucas blurts. Anna slowly has one of her tails lean against her face, shaking her head in disappointment. Jimmy and the blob raise their brow at Lucas, giving him an odd look.

The Dragonite begins to think for a moment, staring at the red dot on the blob's belly. She then smiles warmly. "I know the perfect name for you. How about _Cerise_?" Iris says confidently. Everyone stares at her, becoming peculiar about the name.

"Cerise? Why's that, Iris?" Anna asks.

Iris looks at her and says, "Because there's a red dot on his stomach, and cerise is a shade of red. Sounds like a silly reasoning to give someone that name but at least the name itself fits him for that purpose.". Anna thinks for a moment before beginning to nod.

"Now that I think about it, that does sound like a good name to suit him." She then looks at everyone else. "How about you guys?"

Mark and Natalie nod. "Sounds cool to me." The Riolu says happily. Ashen nods as well, agreeing.

"Yeah. I agree with the Riolu." Ashen says. Jimmy nods and says he agrees as well. Iris then looks at the blob.

"How about you? Would you like your name to be Cerise?" Iris asks. The green blob-like creature thinks for a moment, looking at his red dot before nodding at Iris.

"Sure. I'll accept the name for now...until I find out who I really am." Cerise, the green blob, says. Iris smiles softly.

"Glad to see that you agree on it."

Cerise smiles back as Lucas huffs. "Green Blob of Doom could've been the better name, though…" The Furret says, frowning. Anna snarls at him.

"Shut up, Lucas." She says, glaring at the Furret. Lucas looks at her, yelping and saluting immediately.

"Aye aye, sir-I mean, madam!"

Anna shakes her head at the Furret as Lucas sweats and jitters. Cerise looks at Jimmy, noticing that he's still holding him and becomes uncomfortable.

"Um...It would be nice if you put me down, please." Cerise says. Jimmy blinks for a moment.

"Oh. My apologies." The Heracross says as he puts Cerise down. Cerise sighs in relief, finally being free from the Heracross' grasp and gazes up at Iris.

"So what're you guys' names?" Cerise asks softly.

"Iris." The Dragonite says as everyone else goes and introduces themselves as well.

Cerise smiles at them. "Nice to meet you guys, too."

Suddenly, Iris hears a telepathic call noise in her head.

"Hmm? Seems like someone is calling me through telepathy." Iris says as she goes to close her eyes. The gang looks at her while she answers the call. " _Hello?_ " She says in her mind.

From the call, she sees an visual image of Ego in his home next to his bed, having his eyes closed as well. " _Iris, you there? This is Ego here._ "

The Dragonite raises her brow. " _Hey, Ego. Why did you call me?_ "

Ego coughs a bit before he continues. " _Just wanted to let you know that I saw a green figure jump onto your ship. Don't know if my eyes are deceiving me or not..._ "

" _Uhh…_ " Iris shrugs. " _Yeah, We've got a green blob here._ "

" _Oh. What is it then?_ "

" _I don't know._ "

" _Does it know what it is_?"

" _No, sadly. We're trying to figure that out together._ "

" _Ah, I see._ "

" _Anything else you wanted to tell me?_ "

" _Hmm...Oh yeah. Sorry to say this but I have misspoken of Maple Town's location._ "

" _Excuse me?_ "

" _It's not in the Pirate Sea. It's, I meant to say, in the East of the Aurora Ocean. Far from the Pirate Sea. The description of the place is still the same so no need to worry on that end._ "

Iris slowly facepalms. " _Well then...Should've told me that_ _before I left the village._ "

" _Hey, sorry. As old as I am, I'm gonna forget some things._ " The Slowking grins.

" _Even though you're a Psychic type?_ "

" _Yep. Not all Psychic types are capable of remembering almost anything from time to time, just to let you know._ "

Iris sighs softly. " _Anyway, thanks for the conversation, Ego._ "

" _Anytime, Iris._ "

Soon, the telepathic call cuts the visual image off and Iris opens her eyes, staring at everyone. Anna walks up to her.

"So who called you?" Anna asks curiously.

"Ego. He told me that he saw Cerise...and he also reminded me of our primary location not being in the Pirate Sea but in the Aurora Ocean instead..." Iris shrugs.

"Oh. Well that's pretty damn far off."

Ashen's eyes widen. "Tell me about it!"

Soon, Iris goes to look at Cerise. "Anyway, Cerise, I wanted to ask you something." Cerise looks at the Dragonite, tilting his head slightly.

"Yes?" He says.

"Why did you board my ship? Just wondering."

Cerise looks at Mark and Natalie, sorrow drowning his face before staring back at Iris. "Well...just to follow these two…"

"Hmm…?" Iris looks at Mark and Natalie for a moment then back at Cerise. "Why do you want to follow them?" Cerise shrugs.

"Because I...feel bad for them...having their only guardian killed off like that…"

"Wait, you knew about that?" Iris asks, forming a stern look.

Cerise nods slowly. "Yes...I witnessed it all while I was roaming around the forest, lost…" Cerise stares at Mark, wincing. "I'm sorry for your loss, Mark…"

The Riolu's eyes widen, gritting his teeth and gripping his fist. Natalie notices the rage boiling within Mark and hugs him drastically. Mark lets one tear slide from his face, letting out a sigh as he calms down slowly. Cerise and the crew gaze at the two, feeling crushed while watching them. Everything seem quiet for a moment before Anna begins to speak.

"So Iris...where are we sailing to?" She asks.

"To a nearby town or village for now, I guess." Iris says, shrugging awkwardly. Natalie stops hugging Mark and gazes at Anna.

"Oh, Anna. I almost forgot...Can you explain to me on why you guys are pirates?" Natalie says, blinking confusedly. Anna shrugs while laughing nervously.

"Alright. Well you see-" Anna walks away, chatting with the Zorua as she follows. Ashen heads back to the steering wheel and steers the ship. Iris takes a glanced look at the Furret.

"I suppose you're the reason for telling Jimmy and Mark that we're pirates as well." Iris says with a bit of a snarl. "Just don't go around any villages or towns, shouting 'we're pirates' all over the place. Alright?" Lucas gulps and salutes.

"N-No worries, princess." Lucas says, having the Dragonite folding her arms and glaring at him due to the word 'princess'. "I-I mean, boss! Heh heh…" Lucas sweatdrops, trembling a bit. "It won't happen! I'll guarantee ya, mate!"

Iris sighs, shaking her head with a soft smile. "You know, I'm sometimes happy that I let you tag along with me. You're something, Lucas. Pretty big something alright…"

"Hehe. Thanks." Lucas chuckles cutely. Then soon, Ashen's voice roars the two's attention.

"Hey Iris! I see land up ahead!" Ashen shouts. Iris rushes towards Ashen's side along with Lucas. She and the other five see some houses and a sign saying 'Verdant Village: What else could be worth more than staying in our peaceful mirth?'.

"...Um, why do I get a sense of restriction from that place now…?" Iris says, feeling uneasy.

"Who knows? Maybe it means that they love peace." Jimmy says.

"Eh...Maybe."

Cerise begins to tap on Iris's leg with his tail and she stares at him. "Hey Iris, I've been wondering about this but...we're pirates?" Cerise asks.

Iris shrugs and says, "Yeah...Lucas seems to repeat it a lot so, it should be obvious that we are.".

"Hmm...oh well. Not much I can say about it."

Iris raises her brow. "Despite the whole government thing?"

Cerise tilts his head a bit. "What government?"

"Err, let me explain it to you. You see…"

. . .

In the Corruption Realm, Alro and the others seem to be preparing themselves or socializing with each other. Then Misstrike creates a sudden gasp, her eyes beginning to turn pure black. Sebastian looks at Misstrike, concerned about her action.

"What's wrong?" The Serperior asks.

"T-The three Marvel Mischiefs! They're heading towards a place called 'Verdant Village'." Misstrike answers, sighing as her eyes go back to normal. Sebastian nods, looking at Alro.

"Alright then. We should prepare our little team and take whoever wields those Mischiefs out. We don't know if they're powerful or not but if they are, then be ready." Alro says with a grin. Clemence nods, agreeing with the crazy Malamar.

"I'll go get the rest of the Malamar soldiers. For the meantime, you guys wait here." Clemence says before she gazes at Alro. "By the way, didn't I mention that you look dashing today?" Alro gazes back at her, winking.

"Why, you haven't before. Or at least I assume. Either way, thanks for the compliment." Alro chuckles.

Clemence giggles softly before floating off in another direction. Meanwhile, Sebastian slithers towards Dead Snow and Nexus, the two leaning against a black wall. Everyone else is minding their own business.

"So Nexus...who is this true love you speak of?" Sebastian asks, curiosity spreading across his face. Nexus looks at him slowly, croaking silently before speaking.

"She's an Infernape named Eliza. She and I had an amazing time together. We'd trained together, ate together, and even supported each other on personal problems...Everything was going so well until these groups of Pokemon appeared out of nowhere and…" Nexus pauses for a moment, stabbing the ground with his fist. "Killed her right in front of me…"

Sebastian slightly glances at him as the Glaceon slowly gazes at the two. "Did you recognize the attackers appearance?" The Serperior questions.

"Ah...I believe they looked like a Blastoise, Golem, Kingdra, and two Metagrosses. I don't remember their names because they never mentioned them to me, but I do remember seeing the Blastoise wearing some stone on his necklace. Anyway, she and I couldn't take them on and we lost…" The Toxicroak grips his fist. "I'd asked myself, 'Why would Arceus do this to me? What did I ever do to deserve this? To deserve having my love being taken away…?'" Nexus becomes quiet for a moment before continuing to speak. "After that day, I've met Misstrike and joined this team because of her kind offer…"

"I see…" Sebastian pats the Toxicroak's back. "I feel sorry for your loss, Nexus. But you're not the only one suffering from Solark's cruelties." Nexus looks at him, giving him a brief stare before sighing. The Glaceon nods, agreeing with the Serperior.

"With a corrupted family and a member betraying you, I couldn't agree more." Dead Snow says. Sebastian looks at her, blinking curiously.

"What happened in your family?" Sebastian asks.

"My mother was batshit insane with her unnecessary punishments and tried to nearly kill me and my siblings at times. And my father, well...he tend to have suicidal thoughts and baited my mother in trying to save him a lot...I couldn't trust either of them because of the vicious actions these two performed. The only two members I trusted were my sister, Charlotte the Espeon, and my brother, Seth the Flareon." Dead stares at the ground, squinting her eyes. "I thought I could trust them until one day...I saw my brother kill my sister. His paws being covered in her blood as he looked at me with terror in his eyes. I was furious that he would do such a thing. That he would be crazy just like my mother and father. He told me that he didn't kill her but I didn't believe him and killed him with all my might and hatred." She then glances at Sebastian. "I escaped after my father witnessed me murdering my brother and met Misstrike. She offered me to join this organization and I did...Till that day forth, I've never heard of my family ever again."

"I see..." The Serperior sighs heavily. "That's a burden to carry if I ever heard of such."

"Oh trust me…" The Glaceon grits her teeth, looking down at the ground. "It is…"

"I know how exactly you feel when it comes to family issues." Sebastian snarls. "In fact, my family despise me for things I didn't commit back in the Solar Village. Such as assuming that I stole some lady's belongings when really it was some bullies that like to pick on me and my friend. They're the ones causing all the drama in the village and even when they're caught, the adults took it lightly on them."

Nexus looks at Sebastian. "Sorry to interrupt you but you mentioned about having a 'friend'?" Nexus says, tilting his head slightly.

Sebastian gazes back. "Yes...She was a Feebas named Helena. No one liked her because of her appearance. The bullies there especially love to pick on her because of such. But despite all of that, she remained calm and focused, setting her priorities to join the Savior Unit one day. She never let those negativity gets to her and that's why I admire her. She was the only person I got to stick closely to in that village...but then at some point in time…" Sebastian pauses for a moment, looking down. "I hurt her heart by leaving the Solar Village after setting it on fire, mainly the bullies' homes. The flames ended up spreading throughout the entire village and I saw the look on Helena's eyes. Still remembering the tears slowly dripping from her eyes as she said to me, 'Why?'" Sebastian soon wipes a tear off from his face, shaking his head. "I left without answering her question and met this here team, thanks to Misstrike." Dead Snow notices the sorrow drenching out of the Serperior and hugs him.

"We got each other now, Sebastian...Our past friends, families and true loves are no longer with us." Dead says. Sebastian looks at the Glaceon and hugs back with his tiny hands.

Later on, Clemence returns to the group with about five Malamars. "Alright, darlings. I've chosen about five more Malamars to bring on this mission." Clemence says. Alro claps his scythe-like hands.

"Excellent! Then we'll be on our merry way to that village, baby! Let's go!" Alro yells, feeling quite excited and confident as Clemence giggles with joy. Sebastian, Dead and Nexus look at the group.

"Looks like they're ready, guys. Let's get moving." Sebastian suggests, stretching his serpentine body. The other two nod and head towards the group, the Serperior following along swiftly.

Soon, Misstrike closes her eyes and dark mist forms around her and everyone else, all disappearing within it.

 _End of Chapter 7._


	9. Chapter 8

_**Author's note: Here's another chapter out for you all, folks! I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter because things can get risky with this one. Anyway, enjoy.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 8: No Peace in Verdant Village! Iris Vs the Supernova Gale!**

Ashen docks the ship at the port of Verdant Village. The crew exits out of the ship and head into the village, admiring the beautiful apple trees that surrounds it. Quite a few woodland Pokemon live in this village, containing about four houses, two berry shops, and a water fountain with a Kingdra, a dragon seahorse-like Pokemon, statue in the middle of the village.

There's also the exit out of the village being guarded by two meerkat-like creatures with large cheeks and yellow striping on their chests and tails: Watchogs. Soon, a red penguin-like creature with a white hollow tail and black markings surrounding his eyes, exits out of his home to see Iris and her crew. He's known as a Delibird, his home having the Delibird 'mask' at the top as he walks towards the group.

"Welcome to the Verdant Village, travelers! The name is Ducktian, the mayor of this peaceful village." The Delibird says proudly. Iris raises her brow at the Delibird.

"What's with the name, if I may ask?" Iris says.

"Yeah." Anna joins in. Ducktian chuckles at the two Pokemon softly.

"It's just a nickname I called myself at a young age. The real name is Mavel. A pleasure to meet you, travelers."

"Well, the name's Iris. A pleasure to meet you too, Mayor Mavel." Iris says, shaking the hand of the Delibird. Everyone else introduces themselves to the Delibird except for Cerise, whom the Delibird looks at and tilts his head a bit.

"And who might you be, little fella?"

Cerise hides behind Iris, looking at Ducktian.

"This is Cerise. We don't know what he is but we'll figure it out, eventually." The Dragonite says firmly.

"And since when did you meet this creature?"

"On my ship." Iris shrugs.

"I see." Ducktian's eyelids droops. "You better be careful with him. With an unknown creature like Cerise, the government could take him away by force for experimental reason." The group look at him, concern about what he said as he laughs.

"No need to worry though. I'm not one of those folks that would snitch on you about his existence! Haha!" The group sweatdrop as they stare at the Delibird. "Anyway, care for a tour around the village?"

Iris nods. "Sure. We don't mind." Ducktian smiles and is about to walk away until he stops himself.

"Oh! How could I've forgotten?" The Delibird runs to the mask house, the crew being confused by this before he comes back with a scroll. He unrolls the scroll, which clusters across the grass itself.

"It's a peace agreement." Ducktian says calmly. Iris and her crew's eyes widen at the huge scroll. The Dragonite skims through some of it until she gets to the bottom, where there's a space and small text saying 'Signature'.

"...Okay, you're very firm about this village being peaceful." Iris says.

Ducktian nods. "As mayor of the Verdant Village, it's my duty to ensure the safety of my villagers through peace and serenity." He says in a soft tone. "And I'll make sure of that."

"I...see." The Dragonite notices the strange, uncomfortable smile the Delibird is giving to her as he hands her a jar of ink.

"Sign." Ducktian's voice becomes a little threatening as he says that. Iris hesitantly dips her hand into the jar and prints her paw on the signature space. Ducktian smiles gleefully. "Good. Now, for the tour!"

Everyone cringes at his odd personality before the Delibird guides the crew around the village. Cerise hops onto Iris' non-inked hand as she carries him, resting there for the time being. After a bit of roaming around, Ducktian bows at the group.

"I hope that you enjoy this lovely, peaceful village of mine." Ducktian says happily.

"We will, mayor." Anna says, smiling awkwardly. The Delibird waddles off towards his home, humming while doing so. Jimmy looks to his side to see a large rodent creature with a tawny colored skin, large fangs and three whiskers on each side of his face: Raticate. The Raticate is next to some empty house, holding a sign saying 'For Rent'.

"Hey Iris. We can rent a home here." Jimmy says, catching the Dragonite's attention.

"Good." The Dragonite says, walking towards the Raticate along with her crew. The Raticate looks up at her, stepping back from being under her shadow. Iris notices the look on the Raticate's face and sighs. "Please don't mind our size difference...I will not eat you or anything." The Raticate sighs in relief.

"For a second there, I thought I was a goner." The Raticate says.

"Believe me. If I were planning to eat you, these two would've been gone by now." She confirms, pointing at the Linoone and Furret. Lucas gulps while Ashen looks away.

"Good point…" The Raticate says.

"Also, try not to judge someone by their height, please." Iris glances down at the Raticate. The Raticate nods slowly.

"Will keep that in mind…Anyway, here to rent a home?"

"Yes."

"30 Pokedollars."

"...Noctis Village had a cheaper price than this." Iris mumbles.

"Hey. You can not rent this home if you're gonna complain about it."

Iris sighs softly. "Fine." She then looks at Lucas. "Did you bring the bag?"

Lucas blinks, staring into outer space for a moment. Iris waves in front of Lucas' face before Anna sighs and smacks him in the head. Lucas looks around curiously after being smacked as Mark and Natalie laughs at the slapstick. The other three sweatdrop at Lucas' behavior as Ashen covers his face.

"Oh yeah! The bag! I think I left it on the ship somewhere. I'll be back in just a moment." Lucas says, dashing off towards the port. Iris looks at the Raticate.

"Sorry about that. My friend seems to be a little...out of it."

"I see..." The Raticate says. "I do hope that Furret can survive in this world. Or else...he'll be dead sooner than later." Iris raises her brow at the Raticate before looking at Ashen, who has a worried look on his face. The younglings blink at Ashen's expression while Anna and Jimmy pat the Linoone on the back, cheering him up.

"Yeah...We'll make sure that he lives...despite his oblivious behavior."

Lucas returns from the port, dropping the bag down from his mouth. "Got the bag, mate." He says, purring into happiness. Then he notice the look on Ashen's face. "Is something wrong, brother?" He tilts his head cutely. Ashen looks back at him and smiles.

"Nothing, Lucas." The Linoone says, hugging the Furret. Lucas blinks from the hug before hugging back with a smile, causing the two younglings to adore the cute brother bonding. While that happens, Cerise gets on top of Iris' head as she digs her hand into the bag and grabs out some pokedollars. She hands them to the Raticate afterwards.

"Thank you. The house is yours for now." The Raticate says, smiling while taking the money.

"Thanks." Iris says, smiling back. Her crew then heads inside of the house, Lucas carrying the bag with him. She is going to follow along until the Raticate speaks.

"Hey. I got one more thing to ask you."

"And that is?"

The Raticate points his tail at Cerise. "What is that thing on top of your head?" Iris looks up at Cerise then at the Raticate.

"Um...That's an intelligent robot." She lies. Cerise glances at Iris, raising his brow in concern.

"Oh. Well, that is one lively looking bot. Kinda reminds me of the Magnemite and Kling evolution line, in a way."

"Ha ha. I see."

"Anyway, enjoy your home." The Raticate then walks to Ducktian's home as Iris enters hers.

"Why would you say that? Knowing that I'm not a robot?" Cerise asks.

"It's something called 'lying'. Be glad that I didn't tell him that you were some alien thing. From what Mavel, or Ducktian said, someone could report you to the government." Iris answers. "And I could be in a lot of trouble…" Cerise sighs softly.

"Good point, I suppose."

. . .

Everyone seems to be minding their business in their new home: Iris arm wrestles with Jimmy on the table, Anna and the other two form a conversation with each other, and the younglings play tag with one another. Cerise is staring out of the window, looking at the bright sunlight with a neutral expression on his face.

Anna shakes her head while giggling. "No no, Lucas. I'm telling you right now, that Arbok doesn't like you. Even if she acts exactly like you." The Ninetales says teasingly. Lucas pouts from the comment.

"You don't know that, Anna! She and I knew each other since she was a Ekans and I was a Sentret!"

"That doesn't mean she wasn't planning on eating you from the beginning, pal." Anna snickers, teasing the Furret more. Lucas pouts once more as Ashen chuckles from the conversation.

"Well, I'll show you! When I see her again, I'll ask her out on a date. I knew from the moment when we laid eyes on each other, we were meant to be!" Lucas gives the Ninetales a confident look on his face as Anna sighs.

"You'll never learn, will you? Alright then, remember this day. I'll make sure you don't forget it when she friendzones you." The Ninetales grins.

"Hmph, I will remember this day! And she won't friendzone me!"

"Uh. Yeah, she will. Have you seen any Pokemon like her trying to date, let's say, a Sawsbuck? They would immediately see that thing as dinner rather than a date, just like _you_." Anna winks sinisterly, causing Lucas to whine.

"Oh let him be, Anna." Ashen says as the Ninetales giggles softly.

"Alright alright. And besides, we have two powerhouses over there having themselves an extreme arm wrestling match. We should be watching them instead." Anna says, her and the other two looking at the dragon and the beetle.

Iris slams Jimmy's claw onto the table, grinning deviously. "I win." She says proudly.

Jimmy scratches the side of his head, blinking surprisingly. "Wow. You weren't lying about being strong." He says.

"Yeah. I've been training myself to get strong since I was a Dratini."

"And why's that?"

"Well...to take care of myself, of course." She doesn't want to tell him the real truth as he nods at her. Anna raises her brow at the Dragonite, noticing her lie.

"Ah, I see. Haha!"

Cerise continues to stare out of the window for a brief moment before sighing heavily. _I may not know who I am now...but someday I'll find out...Sooner or later._

While looking out of the window, he notices another blob-like creature within the grass next to a tree, looking like him but flat and has a darker green hexagon. The blob looks directly at Cerise before turning invisible. Cerise blinks and backs away a bit. _Wh-What was that!? I-It looked like me but..._ Natalie and Mark stop chasing each other and look at the blob.

"Are you alright?" Mark asks curiously. Cerise stares at the two Pokemon then sighs.

"Yeah. Just got paranoid for a moment, that's all." The two Pokemon look at Cerise confusedly for a moment before returning back to chasing each other. Cerise looks back at the window, forming a stern look on his face. _Whatever that was...that I saw...must have meant something...Something that I know...I'll figure out…_

. . .

Meanwhile within the Grace Forest, a dark mist appears. The mist disappears afterwards to reveal the Supernova Gale as they look around to see where they are.

"Misstrike, this doesn't seem like the Verdant Village to me." Alro says.

"That's because we're in the Grace Forest, nearby the village." The Mismagius replies.

"And how would you know what this forest is called?" Misstrike points at the sign on the tree next to the group. Alro looks and shrugs awkwardly. "Huh. Didn't even see that there…" Clemence giggles at him.

"Don't be so oblivious now, Alro." Clemence teases. Alro gazes at her and grins.

"I'll try not to next time, Clemence."

Reckless then slams his fists together. "Come on! Are we going to go or what!? I'm ready to trash some shit up!" The Ursaring says, having a Flame Orb strapped onto his back. "My fighting senses is tingling!" Misstrike giggles at the Ursaring's eagerness.

"Calm down, my friend. We're about to get to that point right now." The Mismagius says calmly. She looks to see the village up ahead and nods. "No time to waste. Let's go." The group nod and head for the village afterwards.

While that happens, the Shinx rushes towards the entrance of the village. She is about to enter until she stops for a moment, her ear flickering at the sound of footsteps. She turns to see the Supernova Gales from afar. "Hmm…" The Shinx says before going to hide in a nearby bush. She makes sure the egg stays on her back while eyeing the group passing by. The Shinx shifts, getting a sense of uncomfort from the Gales.

The two Watchogs in front of the entrance notice the group and stand in front of them. "Halt." The first Watchog says. "We need to give you a peace term first before you enter." Alro and Clemence look at each other before eyeing at the two Watchogs.

"Sorry, but peace is not an option." Alro says as him and Clemence's eyes glow dark pink. The Watchogs' bodies are surrounded by the same colored outline and get pushed away into the village, collapsing towards the fountain. The Pokemon around the area gasp, staring at the Supernova Gales entering their village. They scan the villagers there, leading them to become scared of their presence.

The Shinx enters the village and hides behind a random cart, observing the commotion quietly. Ducktian and the Raticate hurry outside of the Delibird's home and see the Gales.

"Hey! What's with all this commotion going on!?" Ducktian yells. The Delibird then sees the two Watchogs knocked out and glares at the Gales. "Were you the ones responsible for this travesty!?"

Alro smirks. "Why yes indeed. Not like you'll do anything about it." Alro and the group, besides Dead Snow, Nexus and Sebastian, laugh. Ducktian grows angry from the sinister laughters.

"You're breaking the village's peace policy! Stop this madness right now!"

"Oh hush up." Clemence says, forming a dark pink outline on her arm and using Psycho Cut on Ducktian. The Delibird gets hit and bursts through his window, screaming in pain. The Raticate jumps from the attack.

"Oh snap!" The Raticate yells, his eyes widening. Clemence glares at the Raticate evilly, signalling him to run and hide. She then laughs in joy and pleasure.

Inside of Iris' home, the crew hears window crashing from the outside and instantly stares at the front door.

"The hell was that!?" Anna says, getting up on fours immediately. Iris glances at the door sternly.

"I don't know but it sounds like trouble to me." The Dragonite states.

"Then let's go find out and see." Ashen suggests, everyone agreeing with him before heading outside. Cerise, Mark and Natalie is about to join along until Iris stops them.

"Stay here, you three. I don't wanna risk any of you getting hurt in case there is a fight going on, especially you Cerise. I haven't seen you being capable of fighting so I can't risk involving you." Iris suggests. "I hope that you three understa-"

"No!" Mark shouts, shifting his bow behind him. "I want to go see what's going on as well! Even if there's a fight that is bound to happen, I'll defend myself as best as I can!"

"Me too!" Natalie agrees, forming a stern expression. Iris sighs softly.

"But I don't want to risk you two getting hurt like last time." Iris says, looking off to the side with sorrow drenching her face.

"Iris. Do you remember that I can heal myself and others if needed?" Natalie points out. Iris looks at her and sweatdrops.

"Yeah...I forgotten about that. Alright, you two can come then. But be careful, alright?"

"Cool, but…" Natalie looks at Cerise. "What about him?"

"Don't worry. I'll stay here and watch you guys...Don't want to get involved in anything violent, personally." Cerise says. Iris nods firmly.

"Alright then. Come on you two." The two nod and head out, Iris closing the door behind her as Cerise hops towards the window and watches the crew. The gang finds the Supernova Gale at the fountain gazing around.

"Alright, what's going on?" Iris asks. The crew locks eyes with the Gales. Natalie gasps while Jimmy goes into a fighting stance and Mark grabs his bow. Misstrike notices the necklace around Iris' neck, the earrings on Anna's ears and the scarf around Jimmy's neck, gasping with shock.

"They have the Marvel Mischiefs we need!" Says the Mismagius.

"What a coincidence..." Alro says, chuckling softly to himself. "The Marvel Mischiefs and the Weapon Mischief we're looking for are all together." Alro glances at Mark and Natalie being next to Iris, grinning deviously. "And we also find the little peasant that almost killed me."

Iris looks at Mark for a brief moment before having her eyes on Alro. "Is this the Malamar you were talking about?" She asks. Mark eyes widens monstrously as he nocks a magical arrow. "...Guessing that's a yes." Iris glares tremendously at the Malamar as Corruption gazes at Mark and Natalie.

"Were those two causing you trouble?" Corruption asks calmly. Alro nods eagerly.

"Yes." The Malamar answers. "And now they have allies. This'll be interesting." Iris slams her fist into her hand.

"I don't know who you guys are but I know for sure that Malamar dude is going to pay for killing off my friend's sister." Iris says, glancing at Alro after cracking her fist.

"Hahaha, friend? He needs friends to help him kill me!" Alro laughs loudly along with everyone else, besides the other four Gales. Iris and her crew prepare themselves to fight. "Do you really think you can kill me?" Alro says, his arm forming a dark pink outline.

Anna growls. "Yeah. Just watch us." She says in a threatening manner.

Clemence giggles as she and the five Malamars behind her have their arms glow dark pink. "I'd doubt that." Clemence says.

Mark aims and shoots his arrow at Alro without hesitation. Alro uses Psychic on the arrow and sends it to the side as Reckless charges towards the crew. Jimmy notices the charging Ursaring and collides against him.

Sebastian tries to whip Lucas with his vines but Anna gets in the way, wincing from the attack. She then uses Flamethrower on the Serperior, streaming a massive line of flames. Dead gets in front of Sebastian and takes the attack, groaning in pain due to the move being super effective. While that happens, the five Malamars from earlier shoot their Psycho Cuts at Iris and Ashen. The two is about to get hit until Natalie dashes in front of them and has the dark pink waves disappear due to her immunity.

"Thanks Natalie." Iris says, flying towards the Malamars. Natalie nods and creates a shadowy-like ball, firing a Shadow Ball. The Shadow Ball hits one of the Malamars while Iris punches two of them with Fire Punch. Then Corruption jumps in the air and shoots a star shaped blast of fire out of his cannon towards Ashen and Natalie: Fire Blast. Ashen tackles the Zorua out of the way, dodging the attack. Iris gasps in shock from the attack. "You two alright?" Ashen gives Iris a thumbs up, leading her to sigh in relief.

Ashen then looks at Corruption, seeing him landing on the ground as the Linoone's claws glow white. "Nice try. But you'll have to attack much faster than that." He says before dashing towards the Magmortar and slashes him with Fury Swipes. Corruption blocks every Fury Swipes the Linoone slashes at him.

During that situation, Mark sees Alro in front of him out of nowhere and slam him to the ground with his tentacle. The Riolu yelps, using his bow to shield himself from the attack. Iris tries to help the Riolu but gets hit by Clemence's Psycho Cut, blocking the attack while grunting. She then growls at the female Malamar, forming fire around her fist.

Dark outlines form around Clemence's arms as she grins at the Dragonite passionately. Iris flies towards the Malamar and uses Fire Punch on her. Clemence uses Night Slash on Iris, colliding her arms with the Dragonite's fist.

Reckless kicks Jimmy in the stomach and slams him towards the ground. Jimmy coughs and throws him off. Reckless lands onto the ground gracefully as the orb on his back activates. This causes Reckless' body to turn red, the Ursaring roaring loudly while eyeing at the Heracross.

"Guts. What a great ability that boost my physical attack whenever I'm statused." Reckless pauses for a moment to cough and look to the side. "Except when I'm like under the frozen status, of course." He looks back at the Heracross with a smirk. "This baby also prevents the burn status from halfing my physical attack." Reckless explains, an orange aura forming around him. Jimmy looks at the Ursaring, his eyes widening in shock. "So just try me!" Reckless then charges at him before he could even use a move. He uses Facade on the Heracross, jabbing him all over the place menacingly. Jimmy shields himself but gets pushed back by force.

"D-Darn it…" The Heracross says, enduring the attack. Reckless chuckles before resulting to kicking and punching Jimmy rapidly: Close Combat. Jimmy yelps, coughing out blood during each hard hit. Reckless then body slams Jimmy towards the ground, restraining the beetle.

"What's the matter? Can't lay a hand on a Normal type like me? Ha!" Reckless says, laughing loudly. "Some Fighting type you are." Jimmy grows angry and uses his horn to push the Ursaring off of him. He then uses Close Combat on the Ursaring, punching and kicking him all over the place. Reckless is coughing up blood from the attack before the Heracross grabs him and throws him towards the statue. Reckless crashes into the statue, causing it to break as he screams in pain. The crowd gasp and panic from the impact as Jimmy breathes heavily. Cerise cringes from the pain Reckless received.

"Ouch. That's gotta hurt." Cerise says, looking away from the view. The Shinx giggles from the impact, remaining hidden behind the cart.

Anna continuously uses Flamethrower on Dead Snow and Sebastian while Lucas stays behind her. "I suppose that you can handle the rest then." Lucas says casually. Anna looks at him, rolling her eyes as she stops using Flamethrower.

"I suppose so, Lucas." Anna says. Lucas then notices a white aura surrounding the Glaceon's body.

"U-Uh Anna."

"What is it?"

"Y-You might wanna take a look behind ya." Lucas quivers.

"What? These two can't do anything to me because of type advantage."

"Think again." The Glaceon says, shooting off the white aura towards Anna: Mirror Coat. The Ninetales looks and gets hit by the attack, slamming against Lucas and ramming into a tree.

"Gah!" The two Pokemon yelp. Sebastian pants while looking at Dead.

"Nice job, Diana." He says. Dead sighs softly.

"No problem." She says with a smile. Ashen then notices the two Pokemon being down.

"Anna! Lucas!" He yells, being distracted. Corruption grins and punches the Linoone in the stomach, causing him to fly in the air. The Magmortar then creates electricity from his cannons and shoots them towards Ashen in jagged bolts, using Thunderbolt on him. Ashen screams in pain from the electrifying attack. Afterwards, the Linoone falls to the ground hard. Anna groans, struggling to get up as she sees the Linoone down.

"A-Ash...en…" She says weakly.

Iris looks to see Ashen passed out, gritting her teeth into frustration. "Ashen, no!" She yells and flies towards the Linoone before getting hit by Clemence's Psycho Cut once again. However, she regains her momentum, flipping back onto her feet and sliding across the ground with ease. She then glares at Clemence, noticing the five Malamars from earlier being by her.

"You're outnumbered, my Dragonite friend." Clemence says calmly. Iris grits her teeth as her eyes glows dark blue and light blue. Her necklace glowing along as well.

"And frankly, I don't give a damn!" Iris shouts, both of her fists being engulfed by fire and ice. Clemence licks her lips deviously.

"I figured that you'll use your Marvel Mischief at some point."

Iris dashes towards Clemence and the Malamars. They all launch Psycho Cuts at her and she punches the dark pink waves away. The five Malamars then use Psychic, stopping Iris dead in her tracks. This causes the Dragonite to struggle in place. "D-Dammit." She says.

While that happens, Alro throws Mark towards the ground and uses Psycho Cut on him. Mark pants, quickly getting up and shooting his arrow at the attack. Smokes form from the collision as he dashes towards Alro with his paws glowing yellow: Force Palm. Alro stops him with Psychic and throws him back to the ground, laughing at Mark's pain. "This is so entertaining." Alro says, smiling delightfully. "Watching idiots like you trying so hard to defeat me." The Malamar grins, cracking his tendril-fist. "Bet you miss your _sister_ now, huh Riolu boy?"

Mark groans as he gets up weakly, gripping his bow in a firm manner. "Sh-Shut...up…" He says in a feeble tone, glaring at Alro.

Natalie whimpers, watching the battles going on in confusion. _Sh-Should I help Mark or should I h-help Ashen?_ Natalie thinks to herself, seeing Corruption picking up Ashen. Then Jimmy tackles Corruption down, making him drop the Linoone.

"Go help Mark, Natalie! I'll handle this maniac!" Jimmy exclaims. Natalie blinks for a moment before nodding and rushes towards Mark and Alro. She uses Shadow Ball on Alro but the move gets collided by two Shadow Balls.

"Huh!?" Natalie looks to see Nexus and Misstrike preparing another Shadow Ball. Natalie prepares hers as well but notices Reckless slowly getting up from the crashed statue, her eyes widening in fear. _Cr-Crud, this isn't good._

"Man, that hurts like hell...distortion..." Reckless says, shrugging with a smirk. "You readers know what I'm talking about." He then sees Jimmy fighting off Corruption and grins, launching towards him with ease.

Natalie gasps intensely. "Jimmy! Watch ou-" She yelps after getting hit by the Shadow Balls, hurtling across the ground. She slowly tries to get up, only to have Nexus put his foot on top of her back. He is about to use Poison Jab on her, forming acid-like liquid from his claw, until Anna tackles him down.

"You're not harming her!" Anna exclaims while pinning the Toxicroak down. Nexus croaks and forms some toxic substances in his mouth before spitting it at Anna: Sludge Bomb. Anna yelps from the attack and lands onto the ground hard, knocked out at this point.

Natalie winces from the impact given to Anna. She then looks at Alro, seeing him swiping his tentacles at Mark while he shields himself. The Malamar laughs in pleasure as Natalie whimpers and shakes her head. _Sorry Anna and Ashen, but I gotta go help Mark!_

She rushes towards Alro and uses Shadow Ball on him before getting kicked by Nexus. Nexus grabs her in time to slam her towards the ground, holding her down with his foot as she yelps in pain. Alro gets hit by the Shadow Ball, giving Mark a chance to use his arrow again. Although, a Shadow Ball from Misstrike hits Mark and sends him crashing into the cart the Shinx is at.

Cerise whimpers, watching the crew getting hurt and defeated. "This doesn't look good at all…" He says in a worrisome tone.

The Shinx jumps from the impact. "Well then…" The Shinx says, seeing Mark trying to get up. The Shinx notices the group struggling to fight off against the Gales: Iris remains in a Psychic hold, Lucas, Ashen and Anna are knocked out, and Jimmy is struggling to fight off two opponents at once. The Shinx then notices Nexus hurting Natalie and gasps.

"I-It's Mistress! And she's getting hurt badly!" The Shinx exclaims. "Jeez, why didn't I help her before!?" She immediately sets the egg down in a safe corner before rushing off. "Leave her alone!" Red lightning surrounds the Shinx as she dashes towards Nexus: Spark. Nexus is about to punch Natalie until he sees the red lightning and gets hit. He screams in pain as the Shinx sends him ramming into one of the houses. Cerise's eyes widen in surprise.

"What in the world?" Cerise blinks, raising his brow at the Shinx. Sebastian and Dead Snow notice Nexus being harmed by the attack, terror spreading across their faces.

"Nexus!" Sebastian yells, slithering towards the house immediately as Dead Snow follows along.

Natalie groans and looks at the Shinx, blinks peculiarly. "H-Huh?" She says confusedly. The Shinx looks at her, smiling warmly.

"Are you alright, mistress?" The Shinx asks. Natalie blinks once more.

"Y-Yeah...And mistress?"

"You don't remember me?" The Shinx tilts her head slightly, confused by the Zorua's reaction towards her. Natalie shakes her head.

"No, I don't...Who are you, anyways?"

"My name's Claire, your servant?" Natalie looks as confused as Claire is. Claire then sighs while shaking her head. "I suppose that angel did hurt you to the point where you have amnesia."

 _Angel!? What!?_ Natalie raises her brow at Claire, concerns spreading throughout her face.

Claire then looks around. "So what's going on here?"

"My friends are being harmed by these evil group of Pokemon." Natalie says, whimpering. Claire raises her brow at her.

"Excuse me, friends?"

"Yes. Those are my friends that're in danger."

"Hmm…" _So she made some allies while we were separated. Interesting..._ Claire then nods. "I'll help you defeat those putrid evil doers, my mistress." Natalie smiles softly.

"Thanks Claire...and no need to call me mistress. Just call me Natalie." Natalie shrugs.

"But I am entitled to serve you for generations."

"Generations?"

"Look. Even if you have amnesia, I'll still serve you, my mistress." Claire smiles softly. "You'll understand as soon as I help you get your memory back. As of right now, let's go help your 'friends'."

Claire looks at Misstrike, seeing her pull off another Shadow Ball and aims the attack at Mark. Claire dashes towards her and opens her mouth, forming dark red fangs and uses Bite on the Mismagius. Misstrike winces from the attack and tries to get Claire off from her.

"Wh-What the!? S-Someone get this Shinx off from me!" Misstrike says as she winces in pain. Clemence notices the Shinx on Misstrike and uses Psycho Cut on her. Claire sees the attack and uses Misstrike as bait, letting her get hit instead. Misstrike yelps, falling to the ground.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry Misstrike!" Clemence says, running towards the Mismagius immediately. The five Malamars get distracted by the two Pokemon, watching Clemence go as they free Iris from the Psychic hold.

"Finally! I'm free!" Iris yells, dashing towards the Malamars rapidly. The Malamars notice the Dragonite and tries to use Psychic again but Iris slams her fist underneath them, causing them to fly in the air. "Fire Ice Punch!" The Dragonite flies up and punches all five of the Malamars with her Mixturing Move attack then slams them all towards the ground hard. Iris roars menacingly and drastically like the true dragon she is.

During that time, Claire looks to see Corruption chokehold Jimmy while Reckless punches him in the stomach repeatedly. Claire grins as her eyes turns red, forming an corrupted red electricity around her body. Natalie looks at Claire, shocked by the color of her electricity. Iris looks below her and sees the red electricity.

"What in the world…?" Iris says, her eyes and necklace stop glowing. Claire then releases that electricity onto Reckless and Corruption, shocking them with all of her might: Discharge. Corruption and Reckless scream over the eerie sound the electricity is making. Jimmy is in range of the attack, but doesn't seem to be harmed by it as Corruption frees him from his hold. Sebastian, Dead Snow and Nexus exit out of the house, looking at what's going on. Everyone else stares at the Shinx's attack, shocked and speechless.

"I've never seen something like this before…" Cerise says, continuing to watch from the window.

Soon, Claire stops her electricity. Her eyes close as she smiles in delight. Reckless and Corruption both fall to the ground, knocked out cold from the attack. The Shinx turns around, giggling at Clemence and Misstrike. "Want some, too?" Claire asks before winking at the two. Misstrike makes an grimace expression on her face before sighing.

"You've won this time, apparently." Misstrike says as Iris lands onto the ground. "We'll meet again next time, Dragonite...Or should I say, Iris?" Iris' eyes widen before giving Misstrike a stern look.

"How do you know my name?" Iris asks.

"Lucky guess." Misstrike's eyes drift to the side, her closing them afterwards. "Anyways, time for us to retreat." Dark mist begins to form around her and the rest of the Supernova Gale members. Mark grits his teeth and rushes towards Alro.

"Oh no you don't! Come back here, you cower!" Mark yells. He tries to reach Alro but the Malamar disappears along with everyone else. Mark's eyes widen as he gets on his knees and slams his fist to the ground angrily. "D-Dang it! I was so closed to getting my payback on him!" He begins to tear up as Iris goes to pat him on the back.

"I'm...sorry that I didn't help you fight against Alro…" Iris says sorrowfully. _Like I promised you…_

"Don't worry, Iris...We're gonna fight them again. They're going to come back for my Weapon Mischief and your Marvel Mischief." Mark looks at Iris and grips his fist. "So whenever that happens, we'll be ready for them." Iris nods firmly before Natalie goes to heal the Linoone and the Ninetales. Her legs forming a red outline around it as she touches the two Pokemon, the outline forming around them as well. She then closes her eyes to concentrate on the healing process.

While Natalie heals the two Pokemon, Lucas groans uncomfortably as he gets up. "U-Ugh...What happened, mate?" Lucas asks, rubbing his back.

"A bunch of things happened, apparently." Jimmy answers, looking at his hands and himself in general. Jimmy then looks at Claire, who is sitting down and licking her paw calmly. "Also, who are you? Young Shinx that saved my life?" Claire raises her brow at Jimmy before turning her head away from him, closing her eyes during so.

"For the record, I am not young. And secondly, the name is Claire, my mistress' servant." Claire says solemnly, not looking at the Heracross.

"Mistress' servant?" Iris questions, scratching the back of her head.

"She was referring to me, Iris." Natalie says, flickering her ears. Mark tilts his head confusedly.

"You have a servant, Natalie?" Mark asks. Natalie shrugs before sighing.

"Apparently…"

"Huh...odd." Mark blinks peculiarly.

"A mistress' servant, ay? Oh, how lucky you are right now, Natalie." Lucas says with a chuckle. Iris sighs at the Furret and looks at Natalie.

"Hmm...Oh. I wanted to ask, why wasn't your Discharge attack hurting me when I was in it? I mean, I'm not a Ground type nor have some sort of ability being immune to such so what gives?" Jimmy asks the Shinx humbly.

The Shinx looks back at the Heracross. "Well, I've learned to control a move that'll damage anyone I will it to, pretty much." Claire answers.

"Then explain the red electricity..." Mark says, shrugging awkwardly. "I don't remember Discharge looking like that before…"

Claire looks away slightly. "That's a secret that nobody besides me and mistress should know about, despite her having amnesia." Mark glances at the Shinx slightly and curiously.

 _A secret that only her and Natalie knows about…strange. I'll figure it out later…_ Iris thinks. Soon, Natalie opens her eyes and the red outlines fades away. She pants a bit afterwards.

"Wow...that was a little difficult to heal than last time. But at least I've healed you guys though." Natalie says as Claire walks towards her.

"Don't use your powers too much, my mistress." Claire suggests. "I don't want you to stress over it, okay?" Natalie looks at her oddly then nods slowly.

"Okay…?"

Then Anna and Ashen begin to wake up, both groaning in pain. "Ugh...What happened?" Anna says, rubbing her head. Ashen rubs his as well.

"Beats me. That Magmortar really did a number to me with that attack of his...Almost felt like I was about to _die_ there for a moment." Ashen says, sighing in relief. Anna gazes at him before immediately hugging him. Ashen blushes from the sudden hug.

"I'm just glad that you didn't die…." She says with a soft whimper. Ashen blinks at the Ninetales before he hugs back.

"Aww. I have a feeling that you had a thing for Ashen, Anna." Lucas says, sniffling as he wipes a sudden tear from his face. Anna immediately stops hugging the Linoone and shoots Flamethrower at Lucas. "YIKES!" Lucas runs from the sudden Flamethrower as Anna stops.

"No. I don't. You freaking idiot!" Anna yells, blushing slightly. The crew laughs at the scene for a moment before Anna notices the Shinx and blinks confusedly. "And who are you?" Ashen looks as well.

"Yeah. I've never seen you before." The Linoone says curiously. Claire shrugs and introduces herself to the two. Ashen and Anna then introduces themselves back along with Iris and the others.

Soon, Ducktian walks out of his home and rubs his back. "J-Jeez, that Malamar hits me harder than two Steelixs and a Aggron crushing me with their weights!" The Delibird says before shaking his head. "...Ugh, I hope the village is alri-" Ducktian pauses and drops his jaws, seeing the mess that is now the Verdant Village. Iris slowly turns towards him and immediately sweatdrops.

"U-Um...we were defending ourselves against the invaders…Sorry…" Iris says, rubbing her hands nervously. Ducktian feels as though he's about to explode.

"My statue! Gone! And this village is a mess!" The Delibird shouts, rage turning his face red. The Watchogs from earlier wake up, rubbing the back of their heads. "Not only will my fellow guards fix this place but you will, too!" Ducktian points at Iris.

"What? Why me, sir?"

"Weren't you in battle with those invaders?"

"Yes, but I only did it to defend me and my allies. They attacked us first when we came outside to investigate."

"Well still, the mess in this village isn't going to clean itself, since you've broken one of the peace rules."

"So I'm not supposed to defend myself?" _What kind of logic is that!?_

"Ugh! Just help my guards fix this village up, please. I'm getting so stressed by this!"

Iris sighs heavily. "I suppose so." She then looks at her crew. "Alright guys. We'll have to fix this mayor's village."

Mark smiles and says, "Eh, I don't mind.".

"Same." Jimmy says.

Claire soon thought of something in her head. "Oh! I almost forgot." The Shinx says, walking towards the broken cart. She gets behind it and comes back out with an egg on her back. Iris grimaces after seeing the egg.

"Where did you get that egg…?" The Dragonite says, folding her arms.

"I found it lying down by some log in the forest. Was planning to eat it...might still eat it. I don't know."

"Eat it, eh? Maybe I can cook it for you, hmm?" Iris slightly grins. Anna gasps in terror.

"No way! It may be a newborn baby, ready to see the world!" Anna exclaims, glancing at Iris. Iris glances back before sighing, looking off to the side.

"Fine, I won't cook the egg..."

Soon, the gang begins to help the guards clean up. Cerise sighs in relief after seeing the madness being over. "Thank goodness that everyone is alright…"

. . .

In the Corruption Realm, a dark mist forms in front of the shadowy figure and some goons that looks like large bipedal dinosaurian-like creatures with a green armor-like structure covering their bodies: Tyranitars. The mist reveals Alro and the others looking quite injured. The figure glares at Misstrike.

" _What happened on your mission?_ " The figure asks. Misstrike whimpers a bit before answering.

"We've...got beaten by those who has the MMs and WM."

The figure screeches loudly and eerily. " _I expected much more from you and the others, Misstrike!_ "

"We're sorry, my lord." Misstrike bows. "But on the bright note, I at least know the names for the Marvel Mischiefs wielders. They're Iris, Jimmy and Anna. The Riolu that wields the Weapon Mischief is Mark."

" _Good. Know that next time, not to fail...or someone suffers the consequences..._ "

"Yes, my lord."

" _We'll put that mission on hold. As of now, hunt down the last phantom remaining of my body. The sword._ "

Alro looks at the figure. "Ah. Do you know where the location of that is?" Alro asks.

" _My sword is located in the Acropolis Base, within the Snowy Mountain of Solark._ "

Sebastian looks at the figure, having Nexus' arm around him. "If I may ask sir, who will you send on this mission to search for your sword?" Sebastian says. The figure looks to see Reckless, Corruption, and the five Malamars knocked out then looks at Nexus being injured. The figure sighs softly afterwards.

" _I'll send those who're able to fight by my choice._ " The figure says firmly.

"My lord, one more thing." Misstrike says. "This Shinx named Claire. She attacked Re-"

"Wait, how did you know the Shinx's name?" Dead asks peculiarly. Misstrike grins at the question.

"Like I've said Diana, I just took a lucky guess."

Dead glances at the Mismagius for a moment. "I see...And don't call me by that name."

Misstrike giggles softly before continuing to speak. "As I was saying, I saw the attack on Reckless and Corruption and it was no normal Discharge. It was red and apparently didn't harm the Heracross unlike a normal Discharge would."

" _Hmm...interesting. Get more information on this Shinx person while you go after the target's Mischiefs._ " The figure says. Alro, Clemence, Sebastian, and Dead take a bow.

"Yes, sir." Everyone says. The figure looks at the Tyranitars to his upper side.

" _Take the Toxicroak, Ursaring and Magmortar to the healing area immediately._ " The Tyranitars nod firmly and take the Pokemon away. Sebastian sees one Tyranitar taking Nexus off from his possession.

"Get well soon, Nexus." Sebastian says, having a bit of a worried tone to his voice. Nexus nods as he's being taken away.

" _As for the rest of you, I've decided on whom I wanted to tackle along on this assigned mission._ " The figure pauses for a moment before continuing. " _Clemence, Dead Snow, Alro, and Tron._ " Alro raises his brow, revealing a smile.

"Oh? Who's this 'Tron' person? If I may ask, my lord." Alro asks, curiosity filling his body.

"The orange savage wielding two Weapon Mischiefs!" A male voice says, grabbing everyone's attention. They look to see the voice coming from a bipedal rodent-like creature with a dark orange fur, yellow markings on his cheeks, and has a thin tail with a lightning bolt-shaped at the end: Raichu. The Raichu has two yellow submachine guns strapped around him as he chews on a toothpick and grins at the group.

"Finally, some action." Tron, the submachine gun Raichu, says in a devious tone.

 _End of Chapter 8._


	10. Chapter 9

**_Author's note: Greetings, everyone. Apology for the long wait. Was focusing on other things within my life but at least Chapter 9 is out so go ahead and read if you wish! I hope that you enjoyed it and let me know what you think about it._**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: The Midnight Killer Part 1.**

Everyone seems to be minding their own business after the intense fight. Lucas puts the last piece of the once broken statue together with glue. The sun shines at the Furret intensely, making him sweat and pants in exhaustion.

"Phew. That should do it." He says calmly. Then the whole statue collapses, leading the Delibird to sigh heavily.

"There goes my one million Pokedollar statue. Ruined." He says before tearing up. Ashen goes to cheer the Delibird up as Lucas shrugs and laughs nervously.

"It's okay. Um...I'm...I'm sure that you can get yourself another statue, Mavel." Ashen says with a bead of sweat forming by the side of his face. Ducktian glances at the Linoone.

"Get myself another expensive statue? Like that's possible! Hmph!" The Delibird looks away. "I wish I could charge those intruders right now...Sentence them life in prison, too!" Ashen shifts from the comment. "But anywho, thanks for at least trying to fix it..." The Delibird sighs once more.

Ashen nods. "No problem."

"Also, thank you and your group for cleaning...up...the place…" Ducktian's brow raises.

"Is something wrong?"

"What's your Furret friend doing?"

Ashen turns to see Lucas somehow tries to tape the statue together. "Lucas? I don't think that'll work." Ashen blinks in a unsure manner. "At all."

Lucas huffs and says, "Well, I'll make it work! Gosh darn it!".

Ducktian puts his face against his hand, shaking his head. "The statue is a goner at this point. No need to tape it up." He says in a depressing tone.

"Heh, who to say that my brother would give up on anything?" Ashen chuckles softly. Ducktian looks at him with a concerning look on his face.

"Wait, that Furret is your brother?" Ducktian asks. Ashen nods calmly. "Ah, I see."

The Linoone smiles at Lucas as the Furret smiles back, laughing adorably. "He's something to cherish. Something to make me happy that I'm alive despite ticking me off at times." _And I'll be sure to keep it that way no matter what._

. . .

Midnight comes, leaving the village to be surrounded by darkness. The only light in the village is the glow of the moon. Near the port lies a Watchog staring at the moon with awe.

"Wow. What a beautiful looking moon." The Watchog says to himself, smiling softly. "I wonder, if there's someone out there that guards the moon and its beauty?" The Watchog thinks for a moment before chuckling softly. "I'm sure that there is."

"You…" A voice says in a soft, serene tone. The Watchog looks around curiously from the said voice. "Yes...you...Follow me…"

"Who goes there?" The Watchog asks.

"I will guide you to eternal happiness…"

"Eternal...happiness?" The Watchog looks towards the trees that are beside the village, hearing the voice coming from there.

"Yes...You want happiness in your life, don't you? Then follow my voice...I will guide you to a place filled with glee and peace..." The Watchog shrugs, unsure about this.

"Well...life hasn't been easy for me so far…So sure." The Watchog follows the voice to the forest.

"You're almost there…" The voice says, cheering him on. The Watchog walks into an open field surrounded by trees. The view of the sea can be seen from the field thanks to the trees leaving a space. "Stop. You've made it to your location…"

"Alright. Now...where's my eternal happiness?" The Watchog looks around curiously and blinks.

"Right here…"

Suddenly, a katana strikes the Watchog and everything fades to darkness.

. . .

The next morning, a female voice screams in terror, causing the crew to wake up and groan uncomfortably. Iris, Anna, Mark and Natalie sit up from their beds while the others get off the ground.

"The heck?" Jimmy exclaims, rubbing his eyes.

"Something must have happened outside. We should check it out." Cerise suggests, crawling out from underneath Iris' bed as he yawns. Everyone nods and heads out of the bedroom, exiting out of the house except for Cerise as he goes to look out from the window.

The crew sees a crowd of Pokemon staring at something, forming conversations about the phenomenon. "What's with all of the commo-" Iris pauses for a moment, her eyes widening in shock. "What the hell…?" Everyone sees a Watchog with his limbs nailed against a house and a slash mark on his chest. His eyes are wide with horror, blood dripping from him slowly. Natalie gasps from the sight as Mark and the others go to vomit over at the trees. Claire giggles softly at the putrid scenery.

"What a gruesome death. Haven't seen that in a while." Claire says casually. Iris and Natalie glance at her.

"That's not funny. That's sick! How could you find this hilarious!?" Iris yells, glaring down at the Shinx.

"Yeah." Natalie agrees. Claire puts her paws up innocently.

"Whoa now, relax. I'm used to seeing deaths like these so much to the point where it doesn't surprise me. And besides, his soul should be relaxing in Clarity by now." Claire says, shrugging awkwardly. The two Pokemon blink at the Shinx.

"How would you know that his soul is resting peacefully?" Iris asks. Claire shrugs once more before laughing softly.

"I don't know. I'm just being silly, that's all."

Iris stares at Claire for awhile before Ducktian comes out of his home wearing an eye mask on his forehead, yawning softly. "What's going on here?" He says before looking around to see the Watchog's corpse. His eyes widen immediately as he tries not to hurl. "Oh my Arceus…GUARDS!" About five Watchog guards come by his side from another house.

"Yes, mayor?" One of the guards asks.

"Remove the body from that house immediately!" The guards nod as one of them goes back to the house. While that happens, one of the guards bursts into tears out of nowhere. Ducktian looks at the guard. "Uh…?"

"Tom!" The whimpering guard shouts, tearing up as the other two guards comfort him. Then the other one returns with a ladder, and uses it to get Tom, the corpse, off from the house. While that happens, Ducktian runs back inside of his home. He walks towards his desk that's filled with paperworks and grabs some phone-like technology. After typing on it, he hears a soft siren for a moment then a voice occurs.

"Hello?" The male voice says.

"Hi. This is Mayor Ducktian, also known as Mayor Mavel, of the Verdant Village speaking. I would like the nearest law enforcers to departure here immediately. We have a murder case to address."

"Alright. Help is on the way."

. . .

A few hours later, a group of bipedal yellow wasp-like creatures with large red eyes and black antennae arrive at the Verdant Village: Beedrills. The Beedrills are wearing blue hats as the crowd gazes at them, feeling quite relieve by their presence. Iris frowns, folding her arms before looking at the Delibird.

"Is this seriously the police department you called for?" Iris asks. Ducktian snaps at the Dragonite.

"Well, they're the only nearby police department the government can offer for this village. Not like I have a choice." Ducktian says before sighing.

"Whatever…" Iris rolls her eyes to the reasoning.

Everyone then sees a Beedrill that has a grey cap instead of a blue hat like the rest of the Beedrills. Ducktian walks towards him casually.

"You must be the detective, right?" Ducktian asks. The Beedrill nods in response.

"Most certainzly. Ze name iz Detective Hanzz." The Beedrill says, adjusting his cap. "I'll do my bestzz to solvezz any casezz." Iris sweatdrops at the Beedrill.

 _The way this guy talks already annoys me._ Iris thinks.

"Anywayzz, where'szz ze casezz?"

Ducktian looks at the guards besides him, seeing them carrying a bag. Han goes to unzip the bag, seeing the dead Watchog inside of it. He examines the body as Mark stares in awe. _Wow! A real detective! Can't believe I'm seeing it with my own eyes!_ The Riolu thinks, wagging his tail excitedly. The grey cap Beedrill then looks at the Delibird.

"Seemzz like we'll stayzz here for awhile. We can't exactly pinpoint on whozz the killer iz." Han says, staring at the nails on the corpse. "Although, we'll take a look at ze nails. Maybe they'll give us somezz hintzz." The blue hat Beedrills take the nails off from the corpse as Ducktian nods.

"Alright then. I'll give you fellas a nice, comfy home to stay in for the meantime." Ducktian says, turning towards the Watchog guards. "And guards, take the body to the cemetery so it can properly rest in peace." The guards nod and take the body to a pathway besides the village. Ducktian then takes his eyes on the crowd. "Alright folks. Everything is settled. You may continue your lovely day."

The crowd slowly starts to go on with their lives, some continuing to chat about the situation. Iris sighs and stretches her body. "Welp, I'll be cooking for the night cause I'm in the mood for it...even after witnessing this." Iris says, sweatdropping while looking at a cart that has two Pokemon around it. One being a bipedal rabbit-like creature with arm-based ears and the fur of his actual paws being colored white: Diggersby. And the second being a long bodied creature with her forehead having a purple spot and possesses a pair of long yellow whiskers that has split ends: Mienshao. The Diggersby seems to be behind the cart as the Mienshao orders something from it.

"What are you cooking?" Anna asks curiously as Iris looks at her.

"Meat Product…" The Dragonite answers, shrugging. Lucas groans uncomfortably.

"But I wanted some more Fryin' Ready Berries...or a Berry Steak." Lucas says. Iris points to the berry trees all around.

"Why not get some berries from the trees then? I can cook them as well, you know." Iris suggests. Lucas thinks for a moment before realizing what she said.

"Oooh! Didn't even notice those berries in the first place."

Iris shakes her head as she gets behind the Mienshao. The Mienshao grabs a jar of food that looks like meat, the Meat Product, from the salesman and walks off. The Dragonite gets in front of the cart afterwards as the Mienshao gazes at the guards taking the body away.

"There goes one life being taking away...More to come from this cruel world." The Mienshao says, staring dully. Natalie flickers her ear, hearing what the Mienshao said.

"What does that mean?" Natalie asks, tilting her head slightly. The Mienshao looks down at the Zorua before sighing.

"Pokemon should be happy that someone is killed off. Setting them free from this world instead of letting them continue to live in such a wasteland." The Mienshao then stares at the sky. "It's like cutting down a decaying tree but everyone finds you heartless for doing so...even though you're putting it out of its misery. What sense does that make? None...none at all."

Natalie blinks from the comment. "Well, what if we don't want them to do such a thing? What if we just wanted it to be left alone and wither on its own?" The Mienshao turns around, looking at the exit.

"Then it's your fault for letting it suffer longer."

Natalie stares at her, shocked and speechless by her answer. The Mienshao walks off into the forest, leaving the Zorua to be confused and curious about what the Mienshao said. Claire notices the look on her face and motions to her.

"Is something wrong, mistress?" The Shinx asks. Natalie glances at the exit for a moment before shaking her head.

"Nothing, Claire."

The Dragonite soon returns back to the crew, holding two jars of Meat Product in her hands. "Alright. Let's head inside." Iris says.

"Wait, mate. I think I'll take a look around the village and pick some berries." Lucas says.

"And...I'm thinking about playing outside for a little while." Natalie says. _Just to get this off my mind for now…_

"Me too!" Mark follows along, giving Natalie a noogie as she giggles. "Haven't been out much since Noctis Village, anyway." Claire sees what the Riolu is doing and snarls at him, causing him to raise his paws up. "Whoa there. Not harming Natalie, okay? I was just giving Natalie a friendly noogie, that's all." Claire groans before stop snarling, Jimmy and Ashen chuckle at the cute scenario while Iris forms a bead of sweat by the side of her face.

"Who's going to watch the younglings though?" Iris asks cautiously.

"Hey! I am not young!" Claire exclaims. Iris glares at her.

"You are."

Jimmy smiles before speaking. "I'll watch over them."

"Good. What about you, Anna and Ashen?"

"Eh. I'll stay outside as well. Just wanting to keep an eye out on my bro." Ashen answers, putting his hands behind his head. "Making sure that he doesn't do anything silly."

"I'll be inside...Would love to sleep on that bed some more, honestly." Anna answers as well, giggling to herself. Iris nods firmly at the two as everyone goes off to doing their thing. Mark stares at the Zorua and Shinx, smiling with joy and excitement.

"Hey. Let's play Hide and Seek." Mark suggests. Claire tilts her head slightly.

"What is this 'Hide and Seek'?" She asks in a curious manner. Mark and Natalie look at her shockingly.

"You don't know what Hide and Seek is!?" The two yell. Claire shakes her head.

Natalie shrugs awkwardly. "Well, it's where one person closes their eyes while another goes to hide. They count to whatever number they choose and after they've reached the number, they go to seek out who's hiding. If that person finds the hider and tags them, they'll be the seeker for the next round and the last person that hasn't been tagged wins." The Zorua tilts her head curiously. "How come you've never heard of it?"

"Well...I just haven't been experiencing this youth much, that's all." Claire says, shrugging once more.

"Hmm...Well anyways, I'll be the seeker while you two be the hiders." Mark says happily. Natalie nods as the Riolu turns to the crew's home and counts. Natalie giggles and hides behind a tree. Claire follows her closely.

"Claire! Go hide someplace else!" Natalie whispers. Claire shakes her head.

"But I can't leave your side, mistress." Claire says humbly, leading Natalie to sweatdrop.

"We're just playing a game. I'll be fine."

"No!"

"Ready or not, here I come!" Mark shouts in joy.

"Oh nevermind!" Natalie says quietly, sighing afterwards.

. . .

At nighttime, mostly everyone is at the table except for Cerise, who's resting by the window. Mark and Natalie are talking to each other while Claire licks the Pokemon Egg she surrounds with her tail.

"Hey! Try not to _eat_ it!" Anna says, glaring at the Shinx. Claire looks at her cutely.

"I'm just keeping it warm, that's all." Claire purrs while nuzzling against the egg. The Ninetales sighs softly.

"Well, I could've done that with my warm body but alright."

Meanwhile, Iris is in the kitchen cooking the Meat Product and some berries that are in a separate pot. Anna looks at the Dragonite.

"I thought you weren't into eating Meat Product, Iris?"

"Well, I would find me a Magikarp and cook that instead...but we're in a public area and if I've done that, I would've been arrested for trying to eat another Pokemon." Iris says, shrugging awkwardly.

"Ah, true…"

Claire blinks and stares at the two. "Wait, it's wrong to eat another Pokemon?" The Shinx asks. Ashen nods firmly.

"Yeah. The O.P. government, AKA the Official Protection government, invented the Meat Product for any carnivorous Pokemon to snack on instead of another Pokemon. It's a crime to eat another Pokemon nowadays." Ashen says, shrugging once more. "While Iris does hunt another Pokemon, she does it safely and when necessary."

Claire processes everything she knows for a moment before sighing. "I suppose that makes sense but...what made the so called government wanting to do such?"

"To prevent any Pokemon species out there from going extinct. The predator and prey thing has gotten out of control to the point where one Pokemon species almost went extinct, from what I've heard. So that's why the Meat Product exist."

Claire nods slowly. "Ah, I understand now."

Jimmy stares at Cerise and speaks. "Hey. Aren't you going to eat?" Cerise looks back at him and shakes his head.

"No thanks. I already received my food thanks to the sun." Cerise says, smiling warmly.

"Huh...You go through photosynthesis or something?"

"I guess so." Cerise shrugs before resting. Jimmy shifts a bit and focus on the others.

Few minutes later, Iris is done cooking as she sighs in relief. She stares at everyone at the table. "Alright. Who here wants the Meat Product or the fried berries? The fried berries being either Oran or Sitrus." She asks everyone. Anna, Natalie and Claire want the product while Mark, Jimmy, Ashen and Lucas want the fried berries. Iris nods and proceeds to making plates for everyone. Ashen decides to go aid her, grabbing one of the plates that has the cooked product on it. Iris looks at him and smiles warmly. "Thanks Ashen." Ashen nods and hands the plate to Anna. The Ninetales smiles before putting her paw on the food. Ashen smiles back, grabbing another plate as Lucas chuckles at Anna.

"You like him. I just know it." Lucas whispers to Anna. Anna snarls, gritting her teeth at Lucas while blushing.

"Keep teasing me and you'll be the dinner instead." She whispers back, snapping at him. Lucas' eyes widens and puts his hands up as if a gun was pointed at him. Ashen glances at Anna about that statement before she sighs and takes a bite on her food. "Sorry, Ashen…"

Soon, plates are passed to everyone and they begin eating. Everyone talks with one another while enjoying their lovely dinner. Ashen turns to Anna, munching on his Sitrus berry.

"So Anna...got anything in mind on what to do after this journey with Iris?" Ashen asks softly. Anna stops eating on her food and looks at the Linoone.

"Like what?" The Ninetales asks, blinking into curiosity.

"Well...maybe go on a vacation. You know, we all need a break once in awhile. Maybe some beach island resort. Flowers in your mane, nice king size bed, walking on the shore in the sunset-"

Anna pushes him gently. "Oh hush up, silly." She blushes.

Lucas giggles, noticing the blush on the Ninetales' face. "If I could build a ship right now, I'll name it 'S.S. Ashna', for you and Anna, bro." Lucas says. Ashen stares at the Furret confusedly as Anna blushes even more. She then jumps out of her seat.

"Alright! YOU ASKED FOR IT!" Anna yells and pounces on Lucas' side of the table. He yelps and runs off from his seat. Everyone looks at the two and laughs at their silliness, enjoying the moment tremendously. Cerise shakes his head at the drama before going back to sleep.

. . .

At midnight, everyone sleeps calmly and soundly except for Natalie, who struggles to sleep after hearing the words from the Mienshao. She eventually wakes up, shaking her head before hopping off the bed she's in. Then she exits the bedroom and looks out of the window, admiring the stars in the sky. _Wow...this looks so beautiful. I needed to see something like this to ease my mind some…_ She thinks.

 _Seeing something as beautiful as the sky makes me appreciate the world more…_ Natalie soon receives an image of Carrie pointing at a large cavern with star-shaped lights inside of it. Mark and Natalie were awed at the cavern's view along with the Lucario. _I still remember the time when Carrie took me and Mark to the Star Cavern. That view was so amazing! And that's what these stars are reminding me of right now…_ The Zorua snaps her way into the present and lowers her ears, looking down at the ground with a somber look on her face. _I miss you, Carrie…_

After she gazes at the stars for awhile, she notices a Raticate trying to grab an apple from one of the trees. She tilts her head curiously. _Hey, isn't that the Raticate I saw two days ago? What's he doing out here?_

The Raticate grabs the apple and suddenly drops it, heading into the forest. Natalie blinks at the bizarre event for a moment before opening the front door immediately. Claire seems to be exiting out of the bedroom, rubbing her eyes cutely and sees Natalie out of the door.

"Hey, mistress!" Claire shouts quietly before following her. Natalie turns around to see the Shinx, blinking curiously.

"Huh?"

"What are you doing up this late?"

"I saw a Raticate heading through the trees. I wanted to know why."

"I see...I'll come with you then."

Natalie nods and follows the Raticate along with Claire. The two continue through the forest until they see the Raticate getting slashed by a figure in black cloak. The figure takes its katana out of him as he falls to the ground, red liquid forms around the rodent. Natalie and Claire gasp and hide behind a tree instantly.

"Th-That person just killed that Raticate..." Natalie says quietly, shaking in fear. Claire rather admires the axed off Raticate than to be shocked.

"I see...This person has quite a taste for killing others with such an object. Nice." Claire says, giggling softly. Natalie looks at her, raising her brow.

"Are you crazy!? That's what a sick person would think!"

"Hmm...If only you didn't have amnesia, you would've known how I am by now."

Natalie shakes her head in terror as she backs away, seeing the cloaked figure dragging the body away. "I-I need to get out of here…" She trembles and tries to run off but trips over, yelping during so. The figure hears the yelp and immediately takes its katana from its scabbard, looking around for the noise. "I-I think it heard me. Let's run." Natalie whispers. Claire nods and the two begin to run off.

The figure spots the two and chases after them. The two Pokemon continue running and running, panting a bit as the figure almost catches up to them. The two yelp and make it back to the village, immediately entering their home. The figure glances at the house they went in before vanishing through the trees. Natalie pants heavily and closes the door behind her, Claire looking at her while trying to catch her breath as well.

"We should tell Iris and the others about this, mistress." Claire suggests. Natalie shakes her head.

"I rather tell them tomorrow...Don't want to ruin their sleep in the middle of the night…" Natalie says. "Sorry…" Claire nods, yawning afterwards.

"Understood...I'll go to sleep now."

"Same."

The two head back to the bedroom and sneak their way to sleep.

. . .

Next morning, another scream is heard. This time, it's coming from Ducktian as Iris and the others jolt awake from his scream.

"The hell is it now…?" Iris asks, rubbing her eyes. The gang groans and heads outside, except for Cerise who looks out of the window again.

They see a crowd of Pokemon looking at the Raticate pinned to Ducktian's home. Ducktian's mouth is open with shock and anger. "First one of my citizens! And now one of my associates, the rent owner!?" The Delibird yells. "Who is this killer!?" Han and the Beedrill cops are at the scene, thinking while the Watchog guards take the Raticate off from the house.

"I believezz that thiszz iz becoming a huge problemzz." Han says, looking at Ducktian. "Mayor Mavelzz, you don't mind ze cops and I asking your citizenzz around ze village questionzz, right?" Ducktian thinks for a moment before nodding at the grey cap Beedrill. Han and the blue hat Beedrills go to one Pokemon after another, asking them questions. Then they fly towards Iris and her crew. "Have you seenzz whatzz happen to the Raticate, you eight?"

"Well, no we hav-"

"Yes. Well...me and Claire have." Natalie says, interrupting the Dragonite while shrugging. The crew looks at the Zorua and Shinx confusedly along with Han.

"You have?" Han asks.

"Yes sir. We have...It was someone in a cloak that killed the Raticate with some kind of weapon. It was like a sword but slim-like." Natalie answers.

"Hmm. What color iz ze cloak?"

"It was colored black." Claire answers. Han nods slowly, twiddling his stingers together.

"I see now." Han then looks at the cops. "Alright. I'll head inside and sort the clues we have together. We'll need to watch over ze village for the night, to seezz if this'll happen again." The cops nods. Then Han suddenly looks at Lucas, concerned about his eyepatch. "Isz that an eyepatch you're wearing?"

"U-Um, y-yes?" Lucas answers. "Why did you ask?"

"Just making sure if you're a pirate or not."

Ashen steps in the conversation. "He's not, sir. He's just wearing the eyepatch because he harmed his eye during a severe accident."

"Hmm...I see then." Han says, feeling a bit curious about Lucas. He then heads off towards his home along with the cops.

Lucas sighs in relief. "Thanks for making up that excuse, mate."

Ashen smiles at the Furret. "No problem, brother." The crowd of Pokemon go on with their business as Anna looks at the Zorua and Shinx.

"How did you two know about this?" Anna asks. The crew looks at them, wanting answers as well. Natalie and Claire shrug awkwardly.

"Well, I couldn't sleep last night and when I looked outside, I saw the Raticate wandering off through the trees and decided to go follow him along with Claire. We saw the figure killing the Raticate. Then it chased us down after I tripped...Thankfully, we made it home safely." Natalie says, looking off to the side.

"We were going to tell you about it, but mistress suggested that we shouldn't disturb your sleep." Claire says shyly. The crew seems vexed about this.

"While that's true, you two could've gotten yourselves killed without us knowing about it." Iris states. Natalie and Claire put their heads down.

"Sorry…" The two say. Iris and Anna sigh and go to comfort the two, Iris petting Natalie on the while Anna does the same for Claire.

"It's okay. Just let us know immediately when something like that happens." Iris suggests. Natalie and Claire both nod, purring from the comforts.

Ashen sighs softly. "Speaking of the Raticate, poor fella had his life ending like that." The Linoone says, leading Iris and Anna to look at him.

"Oh right. He's the rent owner, huh? He'll be missed by those who loved him." Anna says.

"It's quite odd that he mentions about surviving in this world...yet, have himself axed off afterwards." Iris mentions. Anna blinks before looking at her.

"Yeah. You're right, now thinking about that coincidence."

As the gang have a conversation with each other, the Mienshao from before appears next to Natalie.

"I guess the killer chose him to die, setting him free from this selfish world. Yet, folks are still shocked and not liking the fact that he's dead." The Mienshao says, gripping her fist. "It irks me on how everyone thinks it's wrong." Natalie glares at the Pokemon as Claire looks at her.

"What's your deal? Why are you so angry on others not okay with another Pokemon dying?" Natalie asks. The Mienshao stares at her as Claire turns to the Mienshao.

"Because it doesn't make sense. We should be happy for them to finally escape from this living nightmare called life."

Natalie shrugs, trying to think of something to say. "W-Well...not in that way!"

"Heh. You're young, anyways. You wouldn't understand me…" The Mienshao slightly smirks. "And by the way, try not to run out in the middle of the night next time."

Natalie's eyes widen as Claire stares at the Mienshao oddly. "How did you-" She is then interrupted by Iris coming up to the Mienshao.

"Hi. Can I help you with something? You seemed to be occupying with my neighbor's friends here." Iris says, lying to the Mienshao. The Mienshao giggles gently.

"Oh sorry. I was being silly and talking to her about random things. I'll be off now." The Mienshao says, walking off to the Grace Forest. Iris blinks for a moment before looking at Natalie.

"Who was that Mienshao?" Iris asks.

Natalie shrugs. "I...have no idea. Just some random lady, that's all." She answers in a uneasy manner. Iris raises her brow at the Zorua.

"O...kay then…" The Dragonite sighs, turning towards her home. "Anyways, I'm heading back inside...maybe to cook some more or something." Lucas and Jimmy hear Iris' voice mentioning the words 'cook'.

"Did someone say 'cook'?" Jimmy says, him and Lucas eyeing at the Dragonite.

"Oh please do cook, you beautiful Dragonite!" Lucas suggests before he and the Heracross push Iris towards the house eagerly. She growls at the two going against her will to move.

"Hey! No need to push me, dammit!"

Anna, Ashen and Mark laugh at the three before following them. Claire is about to follow along until Natalie stops her.

"Hey Claire, I just thought of something." Natalie says as Claire looks at her.

"Yes, mistress?" Claire replies with a curious look on her face.

"I have a feeling that Mienshao is the one that chased us down last night."

"Excuse me?"

"Think about it, Claire. She knew that we were out last night, was okay with the killer axing off their victims, and complains about how other folks doesn't see that as a good way to die."

Claire thinks, putting her paw against her chin. "Hmm...You do have a point there. In fact, I was feeling a lot of negativity from her."

Natalie tilts her head slightly at Claire. "How can you?"

"Well...Let's just say it's an hidden power that enables me to feel someone's positive or negative presence at my own will." Claire shrugs awkwardly. "Nothing special, really."

"I see. Pretty cool hidden power you got there." Natalie smiles warmly. Claire giggles softly, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"Thanks."

"But anyways, I'll tell you what my plan is." Natalie whispers to Claire about the plan. "Got that?"

"Yes...But mistress, are you certain that this plan will go well?"

"Oh, I'm sure that it will. We know how to run away fast, right? So it shouldn't be a big hassle. And besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Hmm...Something tells me that the worst is _bound_ to happen." Claire gives Natalie a blank expression. Natalie sighs and walks toward the crew's home.

"Oh it'll be fine."

Claire shrugs uncomfortably before following the Zorua.

. . .

Later on at midnight, everyone is asleep except for some of the Beedrill cops, who're patrolling around the village. Natalie wakes up and immediately goes to wake the Shinx up, tapping her gently.

"It is time." The Zorua says as Claire yawns. The Shinx rubs her eyes cutely before she speaks.

"I suppose…"

Natalie then walks out of the bedroom eagerly as Claire follows along tiredly. Soon, Natalie looks out of the window.

"Looks like those cops are out and about."

Claire blinks as she takes a look. "Ah...Well how are we supposed to get past them?"

Natalie thinks for a moment before forming a determined expression. "Okay. I got it." Natalie heads through the hallway of the house then notices a window at the end of it. "Bingo!" She shouts only to cover her mouth for a moment, making sure that she didn't wake anyone up. Luckily, no one is awake as Claire reaches her location. "I found a window. Maybe we can sneak out this way and follow where the Raticate was killed."

Claire nods calmly. "Cool."

"Alright. Give me a lift...Gonna open this bad boy." Claire nods as Natalie climbs onto her back. The Zorua then stands on her hind legs, making Claire struggle to hold her up. Natalie unlocks the window and tries to lift it. "Ngh. It's tough to lift it up."

Claire's legs start to shake. "Hurry, mistress. I might not hold on much longer."

"Okay. I'll try." Natalie grits her teeth, struggling to lift the window up. Then finally, the window lifts up, causing Natalie to fall. "Whoa!" She thuds onto the ground.

"Are you alright!?" Claire asks cautiously.

"Shh." Natalie's ear twitches, hearing footsteps in the bedroom. "Hide!" She whispers before hiding in a random hallway closet. Claire joins her as someone opens the bedroom door, that someone being Ashen. He looks to his left then his right tiredly, seeing nothing there. He then notices the hallway window is open and closes it without question. Afterwards, he heads back to sleep. Natalie and Claire exit out of the closet and sigh in relief.

"Phew. That was a close on-" Natalie pauses for a moment to see the window closing. Both her and Claire groan quietly in frustration because of such. So they do the same thing again and open the window without making noises. Natalie climbs on the windowsill, almost falling off before she turns towards Claire and holds her arms out. "Okay, grab my paws." Claire nods and jumps towards Natalie, having her paws cling to hers. Then Natalie pulls Claire and falls out of the window, landing flat onto the ground. "Oof!" The two brush themselves off. "Finally, we're outside. Now we can get down to our plan!" Claire nods, panting a bit.

"Indeed…" The Shinx agrees. The two then sneak off through the trees, finding the location the Raticate went afterwards. "We made it!" Claire says cheerfully.

"Now all we gotta do is wait for the killer to show-" Natalie pauses for a moment, only to see the cloaked figure already wielding its katana. "It...self…" After a brief moment, Natalie looks at Claire while trembling in fear. "R-Run and remember the plan!"

Claire nods. "And report to the cops. Got it." The two turn around and is about to yell for help until the katana hits the ground in front of them. The two stop, looking at the figure beside them. Claire tries to use Discharge on the figure but it misses. "Huh? But how?"

The figure gets in front of Natalie and tries to slash her with the katana but Claire tackles it down and bites onto its arm. The figure yelps and slams Claire against the tree, making her let go. Natalie soon shoots a Shadow Ball at the figure. The figure sees the attack and slices the Shadow Ball in half. Natalie's eyes widen, shocked to see that such a tactic can be performed. Then the figure forms some kind of blue-like ball in its hand: Aura Sphere.

The figure shoots it at Natalie before she counters it with Shadow Ball, causing black smoke to form due to the collision. Then the figure appears out of the smoke and kicks Natalie, sending her brawling all over the ground.

Natalie groans before getting up, seeing the figure rushing towards her. It tries to slash her again but gets tackled down by Claire's Spark. Claire pins the figure down, growling at it. The figure hisses and headbutts her, causing her to get dizzy. It then kicks the Shinx towards a random tree, hard enough for her to whimper in pain.

Natalie snarls angrily, her eyes glowing dark red and her body becomes surrounded by corrupted, reddish black aura. Then she raises her paws up and slams them towards the ground, causing a crimson red forcefield to aim towards the figure: Night Daze. The forcefield hits the figure, knocking it far back with a burst of black smoke. Natalie then pants heavily, her eyes stops glowing along with the aura fading away from her body. "That...should knock the killer out…" The smoke fades away and shows the figure forming a clear shield around it: Protect. Her eyes widen as the figure forms a fist. "Wh-What!?"

The figure then dashes to Natalie and punches her in the stomach. Its fist glows yellow as Natalie feels her energy leaving her: Drain Punch. She screams in pain, wincing at the hard jab along with the draining. Then the figure withdraws its fist, leaving Natalie to fall towards the ground. "U-Ugh…" Natalie looks up to see the figure's red deadly eyes and parts of its face being revealed, thanks to the full moon. The Zorua comes into a realization. "Y-You're the Mienshao from earlier! I knew it!" The Mienshao in cloak laughs softly.

"Not quite." The Mienshao says with a male voice. Natalie blinks, feeling quite confused by the tone. Then a female voice is heard from behind the Zorua.

"I have a feeling that you two would come after my brother." The voice says, revealing herself from one of the trees to be another Mienshao. Natalie looks at the Mienshao then back at the cloaked one.

"C-Called it...Knew that things would get worse…" Claire says weakly. Natalie shakes in fear, seeing the two Mienshaos in front of her.

"Wh-What's going on here!?" Natalie says in a shaky tone. The male Mienshao grins deviously.

"Oh, we won't mind explaining to you at all." The male Mienshao confirms.

 _To be continued…_

 _End of Chapter 9._


	11. Chapter 10

_**Author's notes: Greetings, folks! Another chapter has arrived. And if you thought the previous chapters were intense and chaotic, then wait until you see this one. This one is personally my favorite to create and I'm happy enough to upload it. I hope you all enjoy and as always, let me know what you think about it! Without further ado, enjoy.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The Midnight Killer Part 2.**

"My name is Ry-...no, It's Fumeiyo. And this is my sister, Hana." The male Mienshao says, grinning at Natalie and Claire while putting his hood down. "We're the masterminds behind all of this, as you can see."

"Before we slaughter you though, we'll give you a little history on why we're doing this." Hana says, holding Fumeiyo's hand.

"When we were born, our mother and father loved us dearly. They would do anything to protect us and expected us to do the same...However, we did the exact opposite." Fumeiyo stares at his katana, seeing it reflects the light from the moon.

"You killed your parents?" Natalie says. The two Mienshao nod meekly, smiling widely at the two. Natalie gasps, staring in horror and petrification.

"We're tired of our parents disliking death. They never understood why Pokemon kills another innocent Pokemon." Hana says with a grimace look. "We understood those Pokemon wanted to set the poor souls free from this world. We know that they've went through horrible things in the past. My brother and I had seen others being bullied, lied to, hated by and betrayed. They deserved to be set free because of those horrible, horrible things."

"And seeing how folks dislike others being killed is just ungrateful." Fumeiyo says, gripping his sister's hand.

Natalie grits her teeth. "Maybe because they don't want others to die that way. And besides, most Pokemon kill innocent Pokemon for the joy of it." Natalie looks down. "I witnessed one of those monsters killing my guardian before..."

Hana glances at the Zorua. "You should be happy that your guardian is dead. Being free at long last."

"But not in this way!" Natalie whines. Hana walks towards the Zorua and slaps her, leading her to whimper.

"Shut it." Hana rubs her hand afterwards. "We already had this discussion before so there's no excuse for me to repeat it again."

Natalie glances at Hana. "So how did you two kill the Watchog and Raticate, anyway?"

Hana and Fumeiyo look at each other, smiling devilishly before looking at the Zorua. "Why thanks for asking." Hana says. "I use my Mythical Power to lure the two."

Natalie raises her brow. "Mythical Power?"

"Yes. It's a strange yet rare phenomenon that a Pokemon has when they're born. No one knows how a Pokemon obtains it so they call those powers 'Mythical Powers' for that reason. My Mythical Power allows me to talk into Pokemons' minds without anyone else hearing it. You may be wondering if that's the same thing as Psychic types reading minds or forming a telepathy call. For the most part, yes but I'm able to do the same to Dark types without using the move Miracle Eye. I didn't use it on you since I figured you'll try to stop us otherwise." Hana giggles softly. "Anyway, unlike any mind reading, this one allows me to easily persuade a Pokemon to do my bidding rather they like it or not. I call this Mythical Power, 'Mind Persuader'." Hana smirks. "After I lure the two to the location, my brother axed them off with his Weapon Mischief."

Claire raises her brow. "Weapon Mischief?" Claire asks, tilting her head confusedly.

"Ugh. All this explaining is wasting our time. Let's just axe you off since basically we told you everything." Fumeiyo says before kissing Hana on the lips. Hana kisses back as Natalie forms a disgust expression and Claire blinks from the sudden kiss.

"And you two are siblings. Sick…" Natalie grimaces.

Fumeiyo withdraws from the kiss, grinning as he points his katana at the Zorua. "We don't care. If a Wailord can mate with a Skitty, then why shouldn't we have some affection for each other?" Hana giggles from what her brother said.

"And to answer your question earlier about the Discharge, Shinx: I was able to train myself on dodging moves with pinpoint accuracy. Hence why I dodge it with no ease." Fumeiyo shrugs while smiling. "It does take a lot of practice and precision to pull it off though but at the end, it was worth it. Now to free you and that Shinx from this cruel world."

Natalie and Claire whimper from their potential deaths. This leads Natalie to scream loudly, causing one of the Beedrill cops to hear the scream.

"Did you hearzz that?" The first Beedrill asks, looking at the other one next to him. The second Beedrill nods.

"Yeah. Let'zz go check it out." The second Beedrill says. They tell the other Beedrill cops about the scream and scurry off to the location. Han notices the cops heading out of the village from the window.

"What in ze world?" Han says before exiting his house. The other two cops follow along.

"Detective! Wait up!" The two say.

Iris and the others wake up from the scream tiredly. "Huh? Who in the world screamed in the middle of the night?" Jimmy questions.

Anna flickers her ears. "That scream sounds like Natalie…Which means-"

"Natalie isn't with us!" Mark says, interrupting Anna as he points at the Zorua's bed. The gang all look shocked simultaneously.

"Neither is Claire." Ashen says, beginning to worry. Cerise heads out of the room as the five talk about the missing crew members. The blob looks out of the window and gasps.

"Um. You guys might wanna check this out." Cerise says. Iris and the others exit the room and look out of the window themselves, seeing Han and the Beedrill cops heading into the forest. Iris glances at the group of crime stoppers.

"I'm guessing that they must have heard the scream, too." Iris states, slamming her fist against her paw. "Which means, they're heading to Natalie's location."

Anna nods. "We've gotta follow them immediately." Anna says with a serious tone. Mark nods, rushing to go grab his bow.

"I don't want anything happening to Natalie so let's go!" Mark yells with anxiety in his voice. Iris nods and heads out of the house before Jimmy, Lucas and Mark follow along. Ashen is about to join in until he notices Anna growling deeply.

"I...I shouldn't have let them out of my sight…" Anna trembles. "I-I don't want those two to be killed or anything, especially Natalie. After hearing about her guardian, I feel bad for her a-and promise myself to protect her…T-to make sure that she doesn't-" Ashen hugs Anna, causing her to stop trembling as she looks at him.

"This isn't the time to blame yourself, Anna. We've got to go help Natalie and Claire, okay?" Ashen says softly. "I may be an idiot at times but I at least know what's important and what's not." Anna nods slowly at him, sighing as she calms down. Ashen then looks at Cerise.

"Cerise, you stay here and watch over the place. Alright?" Ashen suggests. Cerise nods firmly. Then Ashen and Anna head out of the house and into the forest along with the others. The Pokemon in the village exit their homes, including Ducktian. All curious and worried about what's going on, forming conversation after another. Cerise continues to gaze out of the window, filling himself with concerns and thoughts.

Meanwhile, Fumeiyo tries to slash Natalie. The Zorua yelps, rolling over and over from the slash attack. Hana has Claire pinned down by the neck, watching the two.

"Stay still, dammit." Fumeiyo says, swinging his katana.

"No!" Natalie yells before forming a Shadow Ball. Fumeiyo notices the attack and stomps on her back, causing her Shadow Ball to fade away. "Ah!" Natalie gasps, coughing out blood from the stomp. Fumeiyo then positions his katana against her neck.

"Huh...Should've done this in the first place. Oh well, time to rest in peace."

Natalie closes her eyes and winces. Claire whimpers and yells, "M-Mistress!". The two Mienshaos laugh in joy from their foul doings.

"Hey! Stop right there!" A male voice shouts. Fumeiyo and Hana see four Beedrill cops pointing their stingers at them. "Freezezz and put your handzz in the air where I can seezz them!" The first Beedrill says.

"O-Oh thank goodness. Please help us!" Natalie exclaims. Fumeiyo kicks her towards a random tree, causing her to cry loudly in pain.

"Mistress!" Claire yells loudly, groaning in pain herself.

"Hey! We said freezezz!" One of the Beedrills yells out. Fumeiyo laughs, looking at the Beedrills psychotically.

"Sorry but I prefer not to." Fumeiyo says before throwing his katana at a Beedrill's chest, sending him towards another tree. The Beedrill coughs out green-colored blood before Fumeiyo withdraws his katana with a string. The Beedrill falls to the ground, causing the other three to shoot multiple white needles at Hana and Fumeiyo: Pin Missiles. Hana giggles and tosses Claire towards Natalie. Then Fumeiyo gets in front of Hana and uses Protect, shielding him and her from the attack. The Beedrills continue attacking the two without hesitation.

Then Hana stares at the three Beedrills, her eyes turning red as she smiles. _Please stop attacking us._ Hana says in their minds. The Beedrills stop their attacks as Fumeiyo dashes towards them.

"H-Huh?" The third Beedrill says. "Why did we stop attacking?"

"I don't knowzz but that Mienshao iz aiming right for uszz-"

Han and the other two Beedrills make it to the location as they see three Beedrills getting sliced in half by Fumeiyo. The blood lands on the detective's face, causing him to stop immediately. He wipes the blood off and sees the three falling to the ground. Dead.

"Wh-What ze-" Han pauses as he sees Fumeiyo laughing loudly.

"Soon, you all will rest in peace from this damnation of a world!" Fumeiyo shouts as Hana's eyes revert back to normal. Han stares in horror as Iris and the others make it to the location. Fumeiyo turns towards Hana with a smile. "Looks like our cover is blown, sis."

"Heh. Might as well slaughter them all at this point." Hana suggests. "Genocide these abominations of living beings." Han points his stingers at the two.

"So it was you two who killed the two civilians in the Verdant Village!" Han yells. Fumeiyo grins deviously.

"You're damn right." The Mienshao confirms, swinging the blood off from his katana. Iris and the others notice Natalie and Claire being by the tree knocked out. Mark grips his fist after seeing his friend unconscious.

"Natalie! Claire!" The Riolu shouts. Anna growls deeply and looks at the two killers.

"What have you done to them!?" Anna demands.

"Heh. We've beaten them up a bit. Don't worry though, they're not dead… _yet_." Fumeiyo says with a smirk.

Anna growls more and tries to run towards the two but two Beedrills get her way. "We got thiszz, ma'am." The first Beedrill says before looking at the two Mienshaos.

"You two are under arrest for ze crime you caused in ze Verdant Village." Han says.

"Oh it's too late for that. We let your men rest in peace so what's the point on trying to arrest us?" Hana says casually. Han glances at the Mienshao.

"I figured that killerzz like you two would say something like that." Han looks at the two Beedrills. "Might as well go for self-defense." The two Beedrills nod and use Pin Missiles on the two Mienshaos. Fumeiyo uses his katana to reflect the attack back at them. One Beedrill dodges while the second gets hit, crashing to the ground. The first Beedrill charges at the two and tries to use Twineedle on them, his stingers glowing white.

Fumeiyo uses his katana to shield himself from the Beedrill's multiple stabbing. Then Hana's arm glows white and uses Aerial Ace on the Beedrill, slamming him towards the ground. Fumeiyo proceeds to kick the wasp hard towards the second one afterwards, laughing happily. Han glances and uses Poison Sting from his stingers; Tiny purple needles aim at the two. Fumeiyo uses Aura Sphere on the attack, having it collide to form black smokes. Fumeiyo comes out of the smoke and gets in front of Han, slashing him. Han tries to dodge the slash but his upper left wing gets cut off, leading him to scream in agony.

"Dammit. I missed." Fumeiyo says before slamming Han towards the ground. Han gasps, coughing as his back started bleeding. Lucas jumps from the impact.

"J-Jeez, see what they did to those Beedrills!?" Lucas says, trembling in fear. Ashen nods before Anna uses Flamethrower on Fumeiyo. The Mienshao notices the Flamethrower attack and uses Protect to shield himself. Then he jumps off from the detective, landing next to Hana.

"I suppose that you six want some too, huh?" Fumeiyo points his katana at the group. "Bring it on. I don't mind resting you all in peace!"

Iris and the others get in front of Han. "This guy is clearly insane." Iris states. Anna looks at her, raising her brow.

"Don't you mean those two?" The Ninetales corrects. Iris glares at the two Mienshaos.

"Exactly."

Han looks up, groaning in pain. "Th-This is police work. I advise you to not get involved and go get us backup." Han demands, coughing out green liquid. Jimmy looks at the detective.

"No need for that, detective. We've got to rescue our buddies so leave the rest to us." Jimmy says humbly. "And besides-" He then slightly turns to the Mienshaos. "We might as well _be_ your backup." The Heracross winks at Han, leading him to sweatdrop.

Meanwhile, Cerise begins to worry about the crew and sighs stressfully. _I hope that they're alright…_ He thinks. _If only I could see what they're doing right now._ Then a withered, soft voice can be heard in Cerise's head.

 _Z...ar...e…_ The voice says to Cerise, leading him to raise his brow.

 _Zare? What?_ Cerise is confused by this until he closes his eyes, seeing a green vision of Iris and the others'. _H-Huh?_ _How...am I doing this?_

Mark shoots his arrow at Fumeiyo. The Mienshao sees the bow and slices it in half. "Nice try." Fumeiyo says before dashing towards Jimmy and pushes him back with one hand. Jimmy slams against a random tree due to the massive force, coughing a bit. Iris grits her teeth and punches Fumeiyo in the stomach, sending him in the air. "Gah!" Fumeiyo then lands to the ground, covering his stomach. "That's...quite a punch." Hana comes to aid Fumeiyo as Iris cracks her fist.

"No one messes with my friends. Especially murderers like you two." Iris says, her fist being engulfed in flames. Anna growls and opens her mouth, flames shooting towards the Mienshaos: Flamethrower. Fumeiyo walks towards the group, raising his katana in front of him as it splits the Flamethrower in half. Ashen notices the tactic and gasps in surprise.

"What in the world? How did you do that!?" Ashen says shockingly. Anna stops using Flamethrower, noticing the robed Mienshao is still in one piece. Everyone seems to be surprised by the phenomenon.

"This Weapon Mischief allows me to split shooting range attacks in half along with reflecting them." Fumeiyo says before grinning. "Just try and handle the two of us."

Iris glances as Jimmy returns to the others, panting heavily. Iris looks at him cautiously. "You okay?" She asks in a concerning manner. Jimmy nods, giving her a thumbs up.

"A great force of push that was but it'll take more than just that to knock me out." Jimmy says, grinning deviously. Iris nods firmly before looking back at the Mienshaos.

"Alright. Me, Jimmy, and Ashen will handle the WM Mienshao while Lucas, Anna and Mark handle the other Mienshao."

Mark looks at Iris. "Why can't I handle him?" He asks.

"Sorry but I can't risk you facing against him. He seems to handle his weapon extremely well, especially on how fast he moves."

Mark sighs heavily. "Alright then." He puts his bow behind his back, getting in a battle stance.

"Alright. Let's go!" Iris yells. The gang all go to attack their perspective target.

Iris tries to use Fire Punch on Fumeiyo but he uses Protect to shield himself. Then Jimmy tries to hit Fumeiyo, swinging every punches at him. Fumeiyo dodges the punches then kicks Jimmy to the side. Jimmy blocks the kick with his arms, sliding across the ground. Ashen uses Fury Swipes on Fumeiyo but he dodges the attack and uses his katana on the Linoone. Ashen dodges the katana barely, resulting to a tiny bit of his fur cut off. He pants heavily afterwards. _That was close._ He says in his head before proceeding to attack Fumeiyo.

Anna, Mark and Lucas stare at Hana, unsure on when to attack her as she giggles. "What are you waiting for? Come at me. I have no weapon, unlike my brother." Hana says, taunting them as she spreads her arms out. "Not unless you want me to hurt your friends over there, hmm?" Anna glances at the Mienshao as Mark's fist slightly glows yellow.

 _Something doesn't seem right…_ Anna thinks.

"Hmm...bummer. And I thought you three would care about your unconscious friends." Hana forms an Aura Sphere in her hand and aims it at Natalie and Claire. "Oh well."

Mark grits his teeth and dashes towards Hana. "Not on my watch!" He yells furiously. Lucas follows him, his claws glowing white.

"Right behind ya, mate!" The Furret says. Anna's eyes then widen into realization.

"Wait! Mark! Lucas! Don't go near her!" Anna shouts. The Riolu and Furret jump towards Hana as she grins.

 _Gotcha._ Hana turns towards the two, her eyes turning red. _Stop where you are now_. Mark and Lucas stop instantly, falling towards the ground afterwards. Anna grits her teeth.

"I have a feeling that something like this would happen!" Anna says before snarling, seeing Mark and Lucas struggling to move.

"What? Why did we stop?" Mark asks.

"I-I don't know, mate." Lucas says.

Hana giggles softly. _Now Riolu. I want you to form another arrow and stab the Furret. Then stab the Ninetales and yourself._ Mark forms another arrow by force and walks towards Lucas. Lucas begins to tremble as he sees the Riolu walking towards him.

"U-Um, Mark?"

"I-It's not me doing this! I swear!" Mark says, positioning the arrow at Lucas' stomach. "Something is wrong with my body!" Lucas turns to Anna.

"Anna! Help us!" The Furret whimpers. Anna looks at Hana, seeing her giggling as she controls the two's bodies. The Ninetales' eyes turns yellow and a yellow orb shoots out of her body, aiming towards Hana: Confuse Ray. Hana is doused by the ray and goes under the confused status, her eyes reverting back to normal during so. Mark is about to stab Lucas but stops immediately, regaining control of his body. The Riolu then looks at Hana and shoots his arrow at her but Hana moves out of the way, having him miss. Mark's eye twitches into frustration.

"But she's confused!" The Riolu pouts.

Lucas chuckles softly. "Well at least you didn't kill me, bud." He says.

Anna prepares her Flamethrower until she hears a scream beside her. She looks to see Iris, Ashen and Jimmy struggling to take on the psychotic Mienshao. Mark and Lucas look as well, seeing Fumeiyo grabbing Jimmy by the pincer and slams him to the ground. He notices the Linoone running towards him, his arm glowing white as he tries to uses Slash on him. Fumeiyo kicks Ashen away easily before slicing the pincer off from the Heracross, leading him to scream in tremendous pain.

Iris grits her teeth angrily. "You monster!" She yells in anger. Her eyes glow to a dark and light blue color. Her necklace glows white while she dashes towards the Mienshao and shouts, "Fire Ice Punch!". Fumeiyo grins, his eyes glowing white along with his katana. He dodges every fiery, cold punch Iris swings at him with ease. "Huh?" She continues, going even faster but Fumeiyo's dodging speed paces. She then stops, panting heavily afterwards.

"My turn." Fumeiyo says before kicking Iris away and dashes towards her. "Destructive Strike!" He shouts in determination. He slashes Iris a couple of times before throwing her in the air. His katana extends to a larger size and slashes her once more, sending the Dragonite crashing towards the ground with an tremendous impact. The Mienshao laughs in joy afterwards.

"A-Ah!" Iris screams, coughing out blood from the impact as Fumeiyo floats towards the ground gracefully.

"Iris!" The five Pokemon yell, becoming even more worrisome than before. Mark grips his fist and runs toward Fumeiyo, screaming as he tries to use Force Palm on him.

"Mark! No!" Anna and Ashen both yell. Fumeiyo notices the Riolu and simply kicks him hard against a random tree. Mark yelps in drastic pain during so. Ashen and Lucas then rush towards the Mienshao, both trying to stop him with Fury Swipes.

Fumeiyo just yawns and shoots Aura Sphere at Lucas then grabs Ashen and slams him to the ground. He holds him down with his foot while the Furret brawls all over the place.

"U-Ugh…" Lucas says, passing out due to the super effective attack. Ashen groans in pain, trying to escape from Fumeiyo's grasp but couldn't. Anna's eyes widen in shock as she sees her friends getting defeated.

She shakes her head in disapproval. "Leave my friends alone, you monster!" Anna cries, dashing towards Fumeiyo. The Mienshao is about to stab Ashen until Anna seeks her teeth into his shoulder, causing him to scream in pain. Hana snaps out of her confused state and sees Fumeiyo trying to get Anna off of him, slamming her against one of the trees several times. Hana then shoots Aura Sphere at Anna, getting her to let go of the male Mienshao. Fumeiyo then grabs Anna in time and yanks her towards his katana, stabbing her menacingly. Anna gasps in surprise, coughing out blood afterwards.

Ashen notices the stab and his eyes widen in terror. "Nooooo!" He cries out. Iris growls deeply, wishing continue fighting but her injuries is hindering her. The Mienshao grins, pulling his katana out as the Ninetales falls to the ground. She winces in pain as blood forms around her slowly, her body twitches during the process.

"Welp, looks like I've gotten someone to rest in peace." Fumeiyo says, seeing Ashen attempting to get up again. He kicks the Linoone down with ease, pinning him with his foot. "Don't worry my Linoone friend. You're next." Hana walks next to Fumeiyo, giggling softly. Ashen grits his teeth, tearing up.

"Y-You sick, crazy lunatics." Ashen says, his tone full of anger.

Hana frowns and slaps Ashen as he snarls from it. "We're not sick! We're killing Pokemon to set them free from this awful world! We're benefiting them, dammit!" She yells furiously.

"Benefiting them? How's killing them beneficial!? All you're doing is making things worse!"

"You're the ones making it worse. If you Pokemon appreciate someone for being dead, then this wouldn't happened!"

"We accept their deaths but not like this!"

Hana grits her teeth into frustration and punches Ashen repeatedly, her eyes widen in anger and insanity. "SHUT UP!" She screams, repeating the same words over and over as she jabs the Linoone. Soon, she stops and see the amount of bruises on his face, panting heavily as blood drips from her fist. She then looks at Fumeiyo. "Let him rest in peace. _Slowly_ and _painfully_." Fumeiyo nods, stabbing the Linoone on the arm. Ashen screams in agony as Fumeiyo deepens the stab.

While Fumeiyo stabs Ashen's other arm, a flat blob forms on one of the trees, invisible as it seems to be Cerise's way of watching the fight. Cerise whimpers from the awfulness he's witnessing. "Oh dear. This...is terrible..." He says, a tear sliding down from his face.

Han looks at the situation and shakes his head. "T-Told you to not get in ze wayzz…" He says, panting heavily. "Nowzz...we're all going to get killed." Fumeiyo withdraws his katana from Ashen's arm and aims for his head. He's about to end him until a voice is heard.

"Don't...you...dare…" The voice says in a demanding tone. Fumeiyo looks to see the voice coming from Anna. She's slowly getting up from the ground, growling deeply at the male Mienshao. Blood drips from the spot she was stabbed in as she pants menacingly.

"What? But I stabbed you right where you'll die. How's that possible?" Fumeiyo says, shocked to see the Ninetales still alive. Hana becomes surprised as well, backing away a bit. Then Natalie and Claire slowly wake up to see the madness.

"H-Huh?" Natalie says weakly, groaning from the pain earlier.

Anna pants heavily. "I've been living in a dark cave for fifteen years. With no one to comfort nor help me. Do you wanna know why?" Anna says, her body slowly having an corrupted red aura around her. "Because they disliked my presence. They think I'm corrupted." Her voice beginning to sound eerie as she receives an image of an Vulpix staring angrily at the outside of the cave. "They think I'm a monster. To the point where even my family abandoned me. So I was a very, very lonely person...Until," Another image show the Vulpix looking at three silhouettes in front of her, feeling quite surprised by their presence. "I met my three friends. We've ventured together, across the seas and on land." Then the last image Anna receives show the Vulpix smiling happily at the Dragonite, Furret and Linoone; The Vulpix being carried by the Dragonite as they traveled in the forest.

"We protect each other at all costs. Hell, we've even made some new friends and allies along the way." The Ninetales' eyes glow orange, her earrings glowing white. "So seeing my friends in so much pain and agony, just makes me wanna kill you both _for good_!"

Anna then forms flames mix with dark energy from her mouth, Fumeiyo and Hana staring intensely at her. "My goodness. What...is she doing?" Fumeiyo says.

Hana notices the glowing earrings and gasps. "She's using her Mixturing Move! But I don't know what moves she's combining together!" Hana explains, backing away some more.

Anna tears up. "I care about my friends dearly because they help me become a better person. To prevent me from becoming the monster I used to be!" She says. Iris and Ashen stare at her, feeling quite speechless by her words. "From becoming this!" Anna screams in an eerie, corrupted tone. "Fire Dark Pulse!" She shoots the attack at the two Mienshaos, screaming with all of her might. The huge, dark-ish flaming attack aims at the two in a vicious and malevolent way.

Fumeiyo tries to use Protect but couldn't. "C-Crap. I forgot that I used that move three times during this fight." Fumeiyo says, gritting his teeth into frustration. The two then get engulfed by the attack, screaming in massive pain. Anna increases the power, adding the corrupted red aura around the Mixturing Move. The robe on Fumeiyo shreds off as he and Hana's bodies begin to dissolve into thin air. Soon, Anna slowly stops using her attack. The move fading away as she stops glowing completely, falling to the ground and passes out.

Iris smiles slightly. _She use her Mixturing Move, finally...Thanks for caring about us, Anna…_ Iris sighs, remaining on the ground. Ashen crawls towards Anna, shaking her immediately.

"Anna! Anna! Please Arceus, tell me she's still alive!" Ashen cries, tearing up as he continues to shake the Ninetales. Anna coughs heavily from the shaking and looks at the Linoone.

"Don't worry, you idiot...I'm still...alive…" Anna says, smiling slowly. Ashen sniffles and hugs her, not caring about the blood being on him as he cries.

"I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect you."

Anna pets him on the head softly. "It's okay...I couldn't protect you guys to the fullest either...Even Natalie…" Anna then licks him on the head softly. "We all have our downfalls, Ashen...and that's okay…" She smiles weakly.

Ashen stares at her for a moment before nodding firmly. "Y-You're right...We do have our downs...So that's why in the ups, we'll get better. And that's exactly I'll do." He hugs Anna tightly. "I'll improve myself on protecting you and the others for now on. And I hope you'll do the same too, Anna...I mean it..."

Anna looks at him, blushing from the tight hug before Natalie and Claire rush towards her. "Anna!" The two yell.

Natalie tears up, looking at the Ninetales. "W-We're sorry about all of this...W-we were trying to help solve the case going on in the village a-and well…" She says, whimpering and looking off to the side. "It's mostly my doing...and my fault." Then she begins to sob. "Why it's always me causing all the chaos?" She closes her eyes as tears shower down onto the ground. "Why can't I do something that doesn't cause chaos for once!? Why!? WHY!?"

"Natalie…" Anna stares at her, sorrow spreading across her face. Claire goes to comfort the Zorua, telling her that it's going to be alright and rubbing her back.

Soon, Ducktian and his citizens reach the location, seeing Han and the others brutally beaten up. The crowd becomes disgusted by Han's missing wing and Jimmy's bleeding pincer. "Oh...wow...What, I, err...WHAT HAPPENED HERE!?" Ducktian demands, shocked and disgusted by what he's witnessing. Lucas wakes up immediately and tries to fight the air.

"Come on, mate! I still...have...enough...energy...in me…" Lucas says before passing out again. Everyone sweatdrops at the eye-patched Furret.

"Well that was weird." A Diggersby says in a confusing manner.

Han looks at Ducktian and sighs heavily. "Itzz...a long storyzz…" Han says in a stern tone.

. . .

Everyone returns back to the Verdant Village: The Watchog guards taking the Beedrill corpses towards the other side of the village while some take Anna, Jimmy, and Ashen to a medic home. Iris and the other group are surrounded by the crowd of Pokemon hearing their conversation. Mark and Lucas watch the crowd and smile at them while Han has about two Watchog guards beside him, both having his arms around their necks.

"I see. So that's what happened." Ducktian says, nodding firmly. "And the two killers names were?"

"Fumeiyo and Hana...They wanted to kill innocent Pokemon to let them rest in peace or some crazy shenanigan!" Natalie says, pouting.

"Sadly, we couldn'tzz arrest them due to the Ninetales obliterating them." Han says, panting a bit while having a bandage on his back. The guard pats him on the back as he winces a bit. "Easy there withzz the patting." The guard stops, nodding at the detective. "Anyway, look on the bright side: At least the village is safe from any murdererzz for now, thanks to that Ninetales."

Iris smiles softly. "Her name is Anna, by the way." She says. Han nods firmly.

"I seezz."

Ducktian sighs in relief. "Well, I would like to thank you for solving the case, detective."

The Beedrill shrugs. "Ehzz, it wouldn't be solved without the Zorua and Shinxzz. So thank them as well."

Natalie blinks in surprise. "R-Really? I...I helped?" She asks cautiously. Han looks at her and nods.

"Yeszz, you did. If it weren't for you and the Shinx, more folks would've been killed by those killers. You saved us. You and well, your friendszz."

The crowd cheers happily for the two, Natalie sniffling and beginning to tear up. "Finally...I did something good instead of causing troubles…" Claire and Mark go to hug the Zorua, everyone aweing at their cuteness.

Then Iris turns to Natalie. "Hey Natalie. Try warning us on what you're doing next time, alright?" Iris suggests. Natalie nods immediately.

"Y-Yeah. I will!"

"But in all honesty, thanks for leading us there to stop those killers, Natalie." Iris says, smiling warmly. Ducktian nods, agreeing with her.

Natalie hugs Iris' leg. "You're welcome, Iris." She smiles gleefully. Soon, everyone goes back to their homes.

. . .

The next day, Iris and the gang are packing their things and set them onto the ship. Ducktian, Han and some of the citizens watch them go. Jimmy, Ashen and Anna have bandages on their specific injured spots as Jimmy sighs heavily. He looks up at his tipless pincer with sorrow spreading throughout his face. "I don't think I can use Megahorn anymore..." Jimmy confirms, looking down. Ashen and Anna pat the Heracross on the back.

"It's alright, pal. You can live without it." Ashen says, shrugging awkwardly. Anna softly hits him on the shoulder.

"I don't think that'll make him feel any better." Anna says, sweatdropping.

"Oh...My bad then." Ashen shrugs, laughing nervously as he sweatdrops. Ducktian walks towards Iris, giving her some kind of phone-like device. Iris raises her brow, looking at the device confusedly.

"Huh?" The Dragonite says.

"It's a Caller. Allowing us to call each other from anywhere, anytime. It also can map the location on where you are, too. I figured after saving this village, you deserve something rewarding." Ducktian says with a smile. "Don't worry. I've got plenty of them in my office. Just take it as a gift."

"Um, but isn't Telepathy a thing?" Iris asks.

"Yeah. For Psychic types." Ducktian glances. "Do you have a Psychic type with you?"

"Well, no but-" Ducktian shoves the Caller in Iris' hand.

"Nah, take it. I would like to talk to you from time to time, if we get the chance to. You seem like a great person after helping us."

Iris sighs softly. "I'm really not though…"

Ducktian chuckles. "Say what you want about yourself, Iris. I know that deep down inside, you're something...special. I can't quite tell what it is, but it's...unique somehow..."

"..." Iris looks at him for a moment before speaking. "So until we meet again, this is farewell."

Iris looks at Ashen and nods at him. He nods back and heads to the wheeler, sailing the ship away. Ducktian waves at Iris and the others. "Be sure to call me someday!"

Iris shrugs, waving back at the Delibird. Then she walks next to Anna, looking across the sea. "I'm surprised that you're still alive after that fatal stab." She says to her. "Leading me to become more amazed by your _power_." Anna nods, looking down at the bandage around her chest.

"Yeah...I can thank my corrupted side for saving me." Anna says, sighing heavily. "And I also thank Natalie for healing me and Ashen last night because of my corrupted side taking awhile to heal...which makes me wearing this bandage pointless now thinking about it." She laughs nervously before being hugged by Iris, looking at her curiously.

"Thanks for saving us back there...and...thank you for caring about us...It...really means...so much to me…" _Huh?_

Anna nods and hugs back, smiling gently. "You're welcome…"

Iris then stops hugging her and looks at the sea. _Why did I say that? I...I'm suppose to focus more on revenge, not friendship...What's going on with me…?_

 _End of Chapter 10._


	12. Chapter 11

_**Author's note: Ah, so at last, you guys have finally made it to the chapter that I've been waiting on to release. I won't explain all the details why but just know that this story has been out since 2015. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter and as always, let me know what you think and see if I can improve anything! Without further ado, enjoy.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Infiltrating the Acropolis Base.**

Somewhere within the world of Solark, lies the Snowy Mountain as most Pokemon would call it. White flakes shower down upon the mountain due to the glorious weather covering the pathway instantly. Within the mountain, there's a high tech base, being protected from the outside by two Weaviles and two bipedal anteater-like creatures with a beige face and a red fur with yellow stripes looking like molten lava: Heatmors. The Weaviles seem to be in front of the entrance, wielding silver handguns while the Heatmors carry black sniper rifles on the roof. All of them are wearing headsets as they patrol the area.

Deep within the base lies two bipedal humanoid-like creatures with metallic white hands and a red samurai-based body, standing parallel to each other while wielding a red spear: Bisharps. One of the Bisharp has a small bag around his waist as they guard a large glass container a peculiar-looking sword inside. One of the Bisharps looks at the ginormous container, scratching the side of his head into curiosity.

"Hey Jefferson." The Bisharp asks in a confused manner. Jefferson, the second Bisharp, glances at him.

"Yeah, Nick?"

"Why do we guard this sword again?"

Jefferson raises his brow at Nick, the first Bisharp. "Have you forgotten already?"

"Sorry. This is my first time doing any actual work for the O.P. government. I'm pretty nervous about it, honestly. So I tend to forget things easily..." The Bisharp chuckles shyly.

"Hm. As I expected from a novice like you."

The novice Bisharp blinks confusedly before forming a flush look on his face. "H-Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?"

Jefferson chuckles softly. "Nothing." The Bisharp leans against the wall before he continues to speak. "Anyway, we're protecting this sword because it having some kind of unstable power. A Pokemon once touched it and went berserk or something."

"...Huh?" The Bisharp tilts his head at Jefferson, perplexed by the reasoning.

"Yeah. The case was very...puzzled. So...one of the government's leaders took the sword away through telekinesis and stowed it in this container here, asking us to guard it for them. Pretty sure we'll get paid well, since we work for them...especially for a novice."

Nick gasps in surprise. "Really?"

"I mean, that's if you do the job right the first time, rookie." Jefferson grins, leading the novice to frown at his attempt on teasing him.

"Well I'll be sure to do the job right! Not only for my sake but also for my wife's sake, too."

Jefferson looks at the Bisharp, smiling warmly. "A married man, I see."

"Yep! We're still in the process of forming a family, though." Nick says, feeling quite ecstatic as he slips a photo out from his bag. The picture contains two Bisharps hugging each other; The first Bisharp wearing a white flower crown around her head as she kisses the second Bisharp on the cheek, whom's carrying a white rose while smiling at her. "She's still trying to decide as she's working hard in her fulltime job." Nick sighs happily to himself. "I'm guessing probably sometime this week, we'll be ready."

"Heh. Well let's hope that we get out of here alive, rookie. This job is pretty dangerous, after all. So be ready when you see an intruder."

The novice Bisharp nods firmly at the second Bisharp. "Yes sir!" He puts the photo back into his bag and continues to guard the container.

Outside of the base lies snow covered bushes. A shadowy mist forms behind the bushes, revealing five figures; Alro, Tron, Clemence, and Dead touch the snowy ground while Misstrike floats her way down. The five notice the base is being surrounded by guards from top to bottom.

"Seems like there are guards patrolling the area." Tron says, cocking his guns. "Let's blaze through this base and take our prize."

"Not so fast, big rodent. We wouldn't want to get caught by them so easily, hmm?" Misstrike says elegantly. The Raichu looks at her and sighs with a smirk.

"Alright. Got something in mind then? I ain't got all day." Tron rubs the gun against his head, feeling so ambitious towards Misstrike.

"Yes, indeed. I was thinking if we could infiltrate them in a stealthy way."

"But how can we pull it off?" Dead Snow asks firmly.

Clemence smiles delightfully. "We can form two groups with each going in a different route. One group can infiltrate the top while the other infiltrate the bottom. Both groups can handle any guards or interference along the way. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a plan. But who's going to be the top or the bottom group?"

Misstrike's lifts her purple, ghostly arm up. "I'll help you with that, my lovely Glaceon." Misstrike then puts the arm underneath her chin, thinking to herself. "Hmm...Alro, Clemence, and I will take the top route while you and Tron take the bottom."

Dead nods. "Understood."

The Gales are about to leave until Dead stops, having her front paw midair. "Wait, what if the inside of the base has more guards than the outside? As in, it's more than what we've expected?" Dead says, looking at Misstrike.

"Oh." The Mismagius blinks curiously at the question before tilting her head and closing her eyes, smiling in a detrimental manner. "Then simply go with Tron's strategy: Cause mayhem."

Tron grins, holding his two guns up. Dead Snow nods firmly before she and the others head onwards to the base. Ahead of them, they see the two Weaviles and Heatmors. The Gales look at each other and nod firmly. Dead raises her paw up, forming an icicle from the snow and throws it at the first Weavile: Ice Shard. The attack hits the Weavile in the neck, causing him to spew blood drastically from there. He gasps heavily before falling to the ground. The second Weavile is about to react to his fallen comrade until Tron shoots him continuously with his Weapon Mischief, causing him to crash against the front door. The Weavile slides down, covering the door with bloodstains. The Heatmors hear the commotion and aim their sniper rifles at the five.

Dead and Tron look at each other for a moment before bursting through the front door. While that happens, the Heatmors start shooting at the other three Pokemon. The three outrun the bullets while the two Malamars fire their Psycho Cuts at the Heatmors. The Heatmors get blown away by the attack and slide across the ground. The second Heatmor tries to call for backup through its headset but Alro grabs him by the neck and snaps it, leaving the Heatmor to become a corpse.

"Alro, watch out!" Clemence shouts as her tendril-hand forms dark pink outline around it.

"Hmm?" Alro looks to the side to see the first Heatmor attempting to shoot at him. Clemence's Psycho Cut slices the sniper bullet in half and hits the Heatmor, sending him flying off from the base as he screams. The male Malamar turns his attention towards Clemence and smiles warmly. "Thank you for warning me, beautiful."

Clemence smiles back and winks at Alro. "No problem, darling. And nice chokehold, by the way."

Alro chuckles softly. "Thanks. My father taught me how to choke someone at a young age." He lifts the Heatmor corpse up, grinning at him. "He told me the only way to kill your opponent instantly while choking them is to find their vocal cords and squeeze it hard enough to hear a simple," Alro pauses for a moment to snap his other tendril hand. "Snap." He drops the corpse and sighs in relief. "Of course, many Pokemon can do this technique but my father felt as though they were performing the technique in such a poor and sluggish manner. Glad that this chokehold was an improvement compared to the one I attempted on the Zorua. Haha!"

Clemence's eyes widen at the male Malamar's description, her eyes filled with affection. "Oh my goodness me..." She says to herself. _Is this my future boyfriend?_ She thinks, tittering in satisfaction.

"Hey you two, I found a vent for us to enter." Misstrike says, catching the two's attention as she points at the vent. Alro walks towards it and yanks the vent cage out as if it's a pencil. He tosses the cage to the side as Clemence giggles at his strength. The three soon head inside of the vent.

Inside of the base, five polar bear-like creatures with icicle beards, Beartics, hear the commotion going on at the top and set off an alarm nearby them. All are wearing a headset just like the Heatmors.

One of them gets stabbed in the neck by an Ice Shard, resulting in them gagging and falling to the ground. This causes the others to see the Raichu and Glaceon dashing towards them. "Code Red! Code Red! We've got intruders within the base. I repeat, we've got intruders in the base!" The first Beartic exclaims, speaking through his headset. Tron goes to shoot rapidly at the Beartics, causing them all to be blown away.

Soon, more guards show up to stop the two. A Bisharp tries to slash Dead with his spear, but she dodges and swipes his eyes with Ice Shard. This causes the Bisharp to go blind and screams in pain and agony.

"Bloody hell, my eyes!" The Bisharp yells, covering his face. Tron then pushes the Bisharp towards the other guards and shoots them all at once, the Raichu laughing in pure pleasure while seeing numerous amounts of blood being shed.

"Man this is so much fun. Trashing up the place and causing mayhem _is_ my specialty, after all. I love it!" Tron says, shooting a small burst into a Beartic's head. He then looks at his submachine guns. "I'm so happy that I stole these from my neighbor back in my old hometown. My mentor didn't want me to wield a Weapon Mischief because of how dangerous I am when using one. Well I'm not dangerous!" He shoots a random Weavile from behind him, taking his attention towards the Glaceon afterwards. "Why would _anyone_ think that I'm dangerous?"

Dead raises her brow at the Raichu before sweatdropping. "Uh...sure you're not..." She says in a uncomfortable tone. The Raichu glances at her before shooting at a Beartic trying to get up from the ground.

"I feel like you're lying to me..."

 _What the hell?_ The Glaceon thinks, feeling quite uneasy by the Raichu. "Uh, by the way, weren't we supposed to meet up with the others by now?" Dead asks, trying to change the subject. The two soon stop at a group of Heatmors wielding black shotguns at them.

"Well shit..." Tron says as he sweatdrops to the guns pointing at him. Suddenly Clemence comes bursting through the ceiling, using Night Slash to hit the ground and creating a dark wave to blow the Heatmors away. Tron jumps in excitement from the Malamar's appearance. "Sweet! Guess that answered your question, Diana." The Raichu smirks, looking at the Glaceon.

Dead Snow sighs. "Sure, I guess...And don't call me that..." She glances at the Raichu, leading him to be confused.

"Um...okay then?"

Tron scratches the side of his head with his gun before Dead looks at Misstrike. "Do you know where we can find the sword, Misstrike?" The Mismagius thinks for a moment, looking around the area before seeing a door leading to the deep part of the base.

"Most likely it's in there." Misstrike points. The five look at the door and head towards it. Alro and Clemence form a dark pink outline around their tendril hands and use Psycho Cut on the door, busting it open. The five enter inside quickly afterwards.

The two Bisharps hear the alarm and jump. "What the heck is going on up there!?" Nick asks, holding his spear up immediately.

Jefferson glances at the stairs, hearing footsteps becoming louder and louder. "I don't know, rookie. But judging by those footsteps, it's nothing but trouble about to happen." Jefferson replies, wielding his spear. "Brace yourself, pal." The two soon see five Pokemon appear from the stairs. Jefferson grips his spear, glancing at them. "Stop right there, intruders!"

Clemence giggles, her arms glowing dark red. "Would you kindly handover the sword, please?" The Malamar asks politely.

"Over my dead body, you criminals!" The novice Bisharp yells, charging at the Malamar.

"Wait, no!" Jefferson screams. The Bisharp tries to swing at the Malamar, but she dodges it with no effort and hits him in the stomach with Superpower. The Bisharp coughs out blood before screaming and slams into the ceiling. "Nick!"

The Bisharp then falls to the ground, causing the ground to crack around him. Jefferson grits his teeth furiously. "You'll pay for this." He says, before seeing Dead dashing towards him. "Huh!?" The Glaceon slashes his face with Ice Shard, leading him to grunt and back away from the attack. Then he hears gunshots from the Raichu and spins his spear to deflect the bullets.

"Whoa!" Tron dodges the bullets, which then create bullet holes on the wall behind him. Alro tries to lurch towards Jefferson but the Bisharp kicks him away. Alro lands onto ground swiftly, laughing smoothly yet psychotically. The five surround the Bisharp, leaving him to sweat bitterly from the situation. He looks around with caution, glaring at them.

"You have no idea on who you're facing against." Jefferson says, gripping his spear. "You're talking to a veteran government guard here!"

Misstrike sighs, smiling at him. "We'd like to say the same for you." The Mismagius says, giggling softly. Soon, Dead rushes towards Jefferson with Quick Attack. Jefferson notices the attack and tries to swipe at her but she fades instantly.

"What the-" All of the sudden, Jefferson is shot from the back by Tron, causing him to cough out blood.

"Boom, baby!" Tron shouts, shooting multiple gun rounds at the Bisharp. "Boom! Boom! Boom! And BOOM!"

The Raichu shoots Jefferson one last time, causing him to release more blood from his mouth. "G-Gah!" The Bisharp yelps, ready to fall towards the ground until Alro and Clemence grab him.

"And just to let you know," Misstrike pauses her sentence before floating close to Jefferson's face. "This will be the last thing you'll see before you die." Her eyes then turns pure black, leading the Bisharp to widen his eyes in terror.

"Wh-Who...a-are...y-you...?" Jefferson says weakly before the two Malamars punch him drastically in the face. The Bisharp slams against the wall, sliding to the ground as blood trails his way. He grunts hollowly, his vision beginning to blur while he stares at the group. Jefferson lifts his hand up in a sluggish motion before Misstrike closes his eyes, giggling at his emptiness.

"Sleep now, cutie." The Mismagius says, her eyes remaining pure black.

"Well that takes care of him." Clemence says with a devious smile on her face. She then directs her attention towards the container. "Now for the sword."

Alro nods and uses Psycho Cut on the container, shattering the glass to pieces. The golden outline sword sits there and shines its appearance upon them like a rare treasure. Misstrike floats toward it and takes it under her possession, looking at everyone. "Alright. We got what we're looking for. Now let's head back to the realm."

"Stop right there!" A male voice shouts from the upstairs. The five look at the voice's direction to see three Pokemon.

One being a bipedal reptilian-like creature with a bushy tail, yellow eyes, and a green body: Sceptile. The second being a bipedal theropod-like creature with a red underside, two clawed fingers, and also a green body: Grovyle. And the third being a aquatic serpentine-like creature with red eyes, long pinkish antennae, and a cream-colored body: Milotic. The Sceptile seems to wear a white and green bandana on his head while the Grovyle has a black cape on her back. The Sceptile also wears a marble-like stone attached around his neck like a necklace, having a lime colored symbol inside of it.

"Put the sword back, now!" The Sceptile orders. Misstrike giggles before forming dark mist around her and the four Pokemon. The Grovyle dashes towards the group without a second thought. "Ebony, wait!" The Sceptile yells to the Grovyle. The caped Grovyle, Ebony, tries to swipe at them but the five Pokemon disappear without a trace.

"Dang it!" She yells, punching the ground. The Sceptile pats Ebony on the back.

"Don't get too fired up, sis. It'll be fine."

"But they took away a highly dangerous weapon. How can it be fine!?"

"I know but we'll get it back eventually...Maybe..." The Sceptile shrugs, looking off to the side.

More guards come along to see the situation. "What happened to the sword?" A Weavile asks.

The Sceptile looks at them firmly. "The intruders took it away." The Sceptile then stares at the broken container. "Looks like we'll have to report to the government about the bad news..."

"Along with their best guard, Jefferson, being dead." The Milotic says in a elegant tone, having her tail fin leaning against the Bisharp's neck. The Sceptile sees the Pokemon checking Jefferson's pulse before looking at the other Bisharp.

The Sceptile checks on Nick's pulse and shakes his head. "They even got the rookie, too..." He says with a sigh. He notices a photo sliding out from Nick's bag and grabs it. The Sceptile stares at the photo for a moment before shaking his head and looks back at everyone. "Looks like we'll have to tell the bad news to the rookie's wife, as well..." Everyone looks at the dead Bisharp, Ebony sighing heavily as the Sceptile continues speaking. "I don't know where those intruders went off to but...we'll figure out who they are and why they're doing this. As of now, we'll need to fix the mess here in the base. Me and the rest of the Savior Units will contact the government about this afterwards. Also...take the bodies away from here, please."

The guards nod. "Yes sir. We'll prepare their memorial shortly." One of the guards says as they grab the corpses. The Sceptile goes to examine the broken glass container, full of concerns and suspense float around in his mind.

At the Corruption Realm, the four Pokemon bow their head toward the shadowy figure. Misstrike floats to the figure, showing it the golden sword. The figure glances down at the group and nods in approval. " _Excellent work on retrieving the sword._ " The figure says proudly.

"Thank you, my lord. Take the sword and return back to life at long last." Misstrike says. "The Corruption Realm needs your full ruling. Your full control. Your full wrath!" Misstrike bows. "It was created for you to take action, master. The one who's destined to _change the world of Solark!_ " Misstrike's voice sounds devious, encouraging, and filled with eagerness. Dead notices the change in attitude from her, being concerned of her behavior as she raises her brow slightly. The figure nods, holding up its hand as the sword floats out of the Mismagius' grasp.

As the sword attaches to the figure's body, it begins to glow. The sword and the shield fuse together within the figure, causing it to change its appearance. It laughs menacingly while the five stare at the transformation; Alro and Clemence cheer in joy while Tron stares in amazement, Misstrike sighing in relief as Dead looks at the transformation normally. After a while, the figure stops glowing and reveals itself to be an sword-like creature with an ornate shield in front of him and has a single purple eye: Aegislash.

The Aegislash looks at the group, closing his eyes and smelling the air with glee. "It's good to be back from the dead." The Aegislash says in a soft but menacing tone. His sword-like body is behind the shield, indicating that he's in his shield forme. "I can move around freely again...instead of remaining still in the shadows." He glances off to the side. "That was a disaster to endure for so long..."

"Either way, welcome back, Master Yuki." Misstrike says happily.

Yuki, the Aegislash, nods in agreement. "It was a mistake for that fool of a legendary to disintegrate me 400 years ago..." Yuki looks up at the dark sky. "I'll deal with him whenever I get the chance to. For now though, I'll be focusing on the four subjects that contain the Mischiefs I need." The Aegislash grips his fist, looking back at the group. "Everyone. As soon as the others are healed up and ready, we'll launch our first official mission. Understood?"

The five nod and respond, "Yes sir!"

 _End of Chapter 11._


	13. Chapter 12

**_Author's Quick note: Finally, Chapter 12 is out! And before you all read Chapter 12, I would need to address that Chapters 0-11 have been re-edited and changed drastically to the point where some dialogue isn't what it used to be. The plot for Mixturing Moves is still the same but has some differences that'll make you all be confused if you read Chapter 12 and future chapters as well. So I highly advise you all to go re-read the previous chapters first before reading 12 or read 12 then re-read the previous chapters. But if you're new to this fanfic/are reading this from the future, then don't worry about this note. Without further ado, enjoy MM to the fullest everyone!_**

 ** _Small note here: Be sure to look at my profile page because it contains a newsflash that you all should be aware of for this fanfic. Anyway, with that being said, let me know what you think about this chapter and enjoy. Your feedbacks will help me find ways to improve this story more!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: An Unexpected Battle at Sea! The Grant Crusaders Strike Again!**

The crew sails across the Pirate Sea, the sun shining at them and the Water types surfing throughout the area. Iris, Anna and Ashen seem to be chatting with each other while the other five seem to be doing the same but mostly admiring the Pokemon in the sea. Cerise is inside of the ship's room, looking out of a small window while being next to the Pokemon egg on the bed.

 _Just who the heck am I? Zare? Is that's my name the voice is trying to tell me? In fact...was it the flat thing that looked like me said that?_ Cerise groans, shaking his head. _I'll never know, I suppose…_ He sighs heavily, sorrow forming over his face as he leans his head against the egg. Meanwhile, Jimmy chats with the four Pokemon about the time he used to be a hero in the Noctis Forest.

"I was heroic, brave, courageous and filled with boldness and determination. I was known as the 'Incredible Vermin' to the Pokemon of Noctis Forest." Jimmy says proudly while waving his arm swiftly. Natalie raises her brow at the word 'Vermin'.

"Um, isn't that an insult word use for Bu-" The Zorua gets interrupted by the Heracross' nail against her lips.

"No no, my little friend. That's the worthy title of a true hero. Going beyond and yonder to blunder the troublemakers that have been causing problems within the forest as a request from the Pokemon of Noctis Forest...Though..." Jimmy stops to think for a moment. "For some reason, after taking care of all of those troublemakers, my fame begins to wear down drastically. Not sure why but it had gotten me to retire from doing heroic things."

Mark scratches the side of his head. "Maybe it's because those Pokemon were only using you to take care of things and not thanking you for it?"

"Nonsense! They did ask my help, after all."

"Yeah but Natalie and I thanked you for saving us from those horrible Malamars…" Mark states.

Claire pouts. "And I feel guilty for not being there with my mistress during the time…" The Shinx says, lowering her ears sorrowfully. Natalie pats her on the back.

"It's alright. At least you've saved us from those same groups at the Verdant Village." Natalie smiles, cheering Claire up before looking at Jimmy. "But yeah, I agree with Mark on that…I mean, did they ever thanked you for taking care of those troublemakers?"

Jimmy thinks for a moment. "I believe they thanked me but they say it in a way that they…" Jimmy soon forms a shocked look on his face and becomes down. "Don't care…" Jimmy sighs heavily afterwards. "First my pincer got sliced off, now I realized I've been used and no one really appreciated me." Jimmy sobs, rubbing the top of his half pincer head. Lucas pats Jimmy on the back while Mark hugs him and Natalie nuzzles against him.

"D'aww cheer up, bud. It'll be alright. And who cares about what those folks did to you. At least we appreciate you helping us and tagging along our adventure. We're the ones that matters, not them." Lucas states proudly. Jimmy sniffles and looks at the Furret.

"R-Really?" Jimmy asks.

Lucas nods. "Absolutely, mate."

Jimmy soon begins to cry and hugs the Furret, bear hugging him during so. Mark. Natalie and Claire back away from the massive hug before giggling at the Heracross. "Th-Thank you so much for appreciating my help! I'm so glad I tagged along with you all." Jimmy's tears are like waterfalls streaming down rapidly as he nuzzles against the Furret.

Lucas gasps for air, weakly patting the beetle on the back. "Yes, yes. You're welcome. Now please, stop hugging me. Not to be rude or anything but I'm starting to see the light if you keep this up. Gah!"

Jimmy sniffles and puts the Furret down, having him inhale and exhale repeatedly. "Heh heh, sorry for the bear hug...Was just...so happy that you all feel that way." Jimmy wipes a tear off from his face, smiling at the four. Lucas looks at the Heracross and smiles back.

Mark winks at Jimmy, giving him a thumbs up. "Any time, my heroic bug friend!" Mark shouts cheerfully.

"Though…" Lucas puts his hand underneath his chin. "I wonder who those troublemakers were, Jimmy?"

Jimmy shrugs. "Just some random Murkrows and Ariados, that's all."

"Oh."

As the five go to continue admiring the Water types, the other three Pokemon begin to laugh at each other.

"Seriously? What's up with that old Psychic goofball?" Anna says while giggling. "Like, why would he stick his head inside of that Tyrantrum's mouth?"

Iris shrugs with a smile. "Beats me, he seems to like living on the edge of danger. Instead of being safe and examining the Tyrantrum's teeth, not risking being eaten, he plays it dangerously and does that. Astona and Maza were annoyed by his poor decision as I laughed my tail off."

"I see. Ego really is living up to the name, "Daredevil Slowking" alright."

Iris snickers. "He is, indeed. He'll take any risk he could muster. That's why he's...honestly the best thing that could've ever happened to me when I was a Dragonair." The Dragonite looks off to the sea, smiling warmly.

"D'aww. That's sweet to hear, Iris." Anna nudges against the Dragonite, looking up at her.

Iris sighs softly before shrugging. "I mean, he doesn't necessarily heal my wounds from that dreadful day but…He does put a smile on my face once in awhile."

"I see…" Anna sighs as well, looking across the sea herself.

"I mean, why wouldn't he? His crazy tales had really gotten me smiling a lot, honestly." Ashen says, chuckling. "He's a pretty interesting old man, not gonna lie."

"Agreed." Anna states, admiring the Water types racing against each other underwater while smiling in delight. Soon, Anna sees Natalie walking towards her along with Claire, curiosity beginning to spread throughout her face. "Hmm?"

"Hey Anna. Just curious to know...What was that attack you did to those two Mienshaos before?" Natalie asks curiously. Anna stares down at her bandage first before speaking.

"Well…" Anna tells Natalie what she did and Natalie's eyes widen.

"Oh wow, really? So that's how a Mixturing Move looks like." The Zorua then smiles happily. "Pretty cool, I must say."

"Oh! Speaking of which, do you mind telling me what is a Mixturing Move and a Weapon Mischief?" Claire asks, joining in the conversation.

Anna looks at the Shinx and nods. "Sure. I wouldn't mind telling you at all." She states. "Well, a Mixturing Move is…" She explains to the Shinx about what they are, seeing her nodding afterwards.

"I see. I believe I understand how those objects and moves functions, now. Thanks for telling me."

"Oh...um." Anna tilts her head curiously. "Are you sure you don't want to ask anymore questions about them?"

Claire shakes her head. "No ma'am. I'm good."

"Erm, alright then." Anna takes her attention back to Natalie. "Anyway, I also added a little bit of my...Mythical Power to the Mixturing Move...If you called it as that…" Anna shrugs awkwardly.

Natalie tilts her head confusedly. "You have a Mythical Power, too?"

"Yes...I...was born with it and it's more so of the reason why I was alone in an abandoned cave...Due to my behavior being so corrupted by it…" Anna looks down at the ground. "I guess my parents didn't want to take care of a child like me...So...that's why I called the power: Corrupted Reign…" The Ninetales looks back at the two. "Because I am the reign of corruption. The monster to everyone's eyes. The unholiness that shouldn't be brought to on Sol-" Iris interrupts her.

"You're none of those things, Anna...You just struggle to control your behavior at times. That's why we're traveling together...to help you." The Dragonite smiles warmly at her. Anna looks at Iris and smiles back slightly, hugging her afterwards.

"Thanks...And sorry for scaring the two of you about my past." The Ninetales looks back at the two Pokemon, shrugging uncomfortably. Natalie shifts a bit while Claire giggles in satisfaction.

"It's fine, Miss Anna. Dark and scary things are always my forte." Claire says, purring while wagging her tail. "Something about them fascinates me so much. With the gruesome depiction of someone's death and the uncomfortable void of someone's past." Claire puts a paw against her face, grinning deviously. "It's the equivalent of eating a yummy frosted cake, you know?" The four look at Claire, raising their brow and giving her an awkward look. Claire stares back and giggles softly. "What?"

"Um...nothing." Ashen answers hesitantly. _What kind of normal Shinx enjoys those sort of things…?_ Soon, Ashen notices the sun beginning to set, the sky slowly turning a orange yellow during so. "Looks like the sun is about to set."

Iris looks at Anna. "Alright then. Anna, wanna play Truth or Dare?" The Dragonite says, smiling in delight. Anna smirks deviously.

"Of course. Let's head inside and see who'll start first." The Ninetales giggles, walking towards the room. Natalie and Claire follow behind in curiosities.

"I would like to watch! Wanna see how you two's dares would go." Natalie snickers.

"I'm just watching because of me not being aware of this game." Claire states. Natalie looks at the Shinx, raising her brow.

"You never heard of this game?" The Zorua asks. Claire shakes her head in response. "Well, let's them play instead of me explaining what it is. Maybe you'll get the idea from there, okay?"

Claire nods obediently Natalie. "Yes, mistress."

Iris walks towards the room. "Oh our dares would be as interesting as a _legendary_ , Natalie." She then stops and looks at Ashen while everyone else heads inside. "Wanna come watch?"

The Linoone shakes his head. "Nah. I'll stay outside and row the ship for awhile."

Iris nods calmly. "Alright. Come inside whenever you feel tired, okay?"

"Got it." Ashen gives the Dragonite a thumbs up, smiling warmly. Iris smiles back before rushing inside of the ship's room.

. . .

Midnight arrives as the ship remain sailing or more so drifting along the liquid blues. Everyone seems to be sleeping quietly within the ship's room; Iris sleeps on the left cot with Lucas curling up on her belly, Jimmy and Ashen rest on the floor against the dresser in the middle of the room, and the other four rest on the right cot, the three younglings nestle against the Ninetales' warm fur.

Although, Natalie begins to shift back and forth against the Ninetales, groaning and wincing a lot. "U-Ugh…" She mumbles, beginning to dream about her being in some kind of dark and distorted area. She hears endless amounts of dreadful and decaying voices all around her, whimpering in fear and confusion. She then sees a pathway leading toward something big ahead of her. She walks toward it slowly, her body trembling in unspeakable fear. She notices that the more she walks, the more details she can see from the figure ahead of her.

The figure looks shadowy, having a serpentine look with six ghost-like streamers. It stares down at Natalie with its eerie red eyes, giving the Zorua an uncomfortable vibe. With the voices coming along to make things more unsettling, she shakes even more in fear. _That thing looks similar to the figure I saw at the Noctis Village but this time, th-this one is shadowy...A-and, what's with the v-voices?_ She thinks to herself, whining in terror. The figure breathes heavily and menacingly at her before speaking.

" _You're confused and afraid of what's happening...but fear not. Once you've regain your memories...then you'll finally come back to me…My child…_ " The figure says, revealing a rather strange smile at Natalie.

Natalie blinks, her eyes widening in surprise. "Ch-Child!?" The figure raises its streamers and strikes the Zorua before she wakes up from the dream, yelping in terror. "E-Eek!" She pants heavily, causing the three Pokemon around her to wake up.

"Natalie! D-Did something happened?" Mark says worriedly. Claire hugs the Zorua, putting her paws all over her face.

"Y-Yes, you alright mistress?" Claire asks. Natalie takes the Shinx's paws off from her and sighs softly.

"I'm fine, guys...Just...had a nightmare, that's all…" The Zorua shrugs.

"What's it about?" Anna says, tilting her head curiously. Natalie groans while rubbing her head.

"About some ghost-like figure claiming I'm its child or something...I don't know, it's just random, that's all." Natalie shifts awkwardly. Anna and Mark seem puzzled about her reasoning. Claire, however, seems to know about Natalie's nightmare before yawning and returning back to sleep.

"Don't worry about it, mistress. You'll understand when the time comes." Claire says, purring sleepily as she curls up against the Ninetales. The three look at the Shinx, confused by what she meant before Mark yawns.

"Welp, I'll head back to sleep." The Riolu says, cuddling against the warmth fur of the Ninetales. Natalie looks around the room before noticing that Cerise isn't present. She scratches the side of her head, having her eyes focus on Anna.

"Hey. Where's Cerise?" Natalie asks in a curious manner. Anna shrugs, shifting her body a bit while yawning.

"Not sure. Maybe he went outside or something...Don't see him swimming in the sea, honestly." Anna says, forming a bead of sweat on the side of her face. Natalie nods and hops off of the bed.

"Alright. Thanks, Anna." Natalie walks out of the room as the Ninetales goes back to sleep. The Zorua wonders around the outside of the ship, seeing the beautiful stars in the sky and the full moon brighten its light towards the sea. Natalie notices the blob-like creature staring at the sky, being by the side of the ship. She walks toward him with a smile on her face. "Hey Cerise."

The blob looks at her, blinking curiously. "Hi, Natalie..." Cerise says in a soft yet mobby tone. Dark circles form underneath his eyes, signifying that he's tired.

"What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?" The Zorua asks, tilting her head slightly.

Cerise shrugs. "Just admiring the dark sky, that's all. Loving its gorgeous scenery." He smiles at her. Natalie smiles back warmly.

"I see. I enjoy its scenery, too. Reminding me of the time Mark and I explored in a cavern filled with lights." The Zorua puts her paws on the edge of the ship, smiling softly at the beautiful stars in the sky. "I believe it was called Star Cavern, if I'm not mistaken."

"Hmm. I see."

"The reason why it was called that because of the lights resembling the stars you see at nighttime, according to Carrie."

Cerise blinks in surprise. "Huh. Didn't know that a cavern's light can look like the stars...Interesting." He says, being intrigued by Natalie's memory.

Natalie looks down at the ocean water, seeing her reflection surfing along the mini-waves as she sighs. "I miss my sister, though...She was so kind and protective towards me and Mark. And I just...refused to listen to her until…" The Zorua whimpers, a tear beginning to slide from her face. "I'm such an idiot...I should've listen to her…" Cerise notices the Zorua's sorrow and pats her on the side with his tail.

"Hey now, no need to beat yourself up over this. She may be gone but...from what I know of, I'm certain that she doesn't want you nor Mark to reminiscent about the past." The blob says with a soft tone. "Assuming that she cared about the two of you deeply, she wanted you two to have the best future. To make the right decisions. To help one another. To," He pauses for a moment, looking up at the Zorua. "Become the greatest Pokemon anyone could've ever met in their entire lives."

Natalie looks back at the blob, sniffling as she wipes her face. "You...think so?" She asks.

"No. I _believe_ so." Cerise smiles at the Zorua warmly, leading her to do the same for him.

"Thanks, Cerise." She leans down to nuzzle against the blob, leading him to sigh in relief.

"You're welcome, Natalie." He gazes back at the aquatic blues, hearing the ocean waves swishing peacefully and quietly. "By the way, mind telling me why you're out here, too?" He asks.

"Oh. Um...well I wanted to take my mind off of a nightmare I had, that's all…" She shrugs uncomfortably.

"A nightmare?" Cerise tilts his head slightly, raising his brow.

"Yeah...I had a dream about being in this place filled with disturbing voices and screeches. Then I encounter this odd figure that claims me to be its child...wanting me to come back or something." The Zorua groans and shakes her head. "I don't know. It's just all...random."

"Hmm...I know where you're coming from, Natalie. I was hearing these weird voices as well. Although, it wasn't a dream. I was witnessing these phenomenons in reality."

Natalie jumps up in surprise. "R-Really!?"

Cerise nods calmly. "Yes...and even saw a weird flat version of myself staring at me for a few seconds before turning invisible right before my eyes...The voices were also saying the word 'Zare'...for some reason. I don't know who Zare is…" Cerise stares at his reflection in the seawater. "Nor do I know if Zare is me…" Natalie blinks for a moment before sighing and stares down at her reflection next.

"We're both experiencing some crazy shenanigans. With me having visions and dreams about this weird shadowy figure and you encountering these voices and a flat version of yourself." The Zorua shakes her head. "I just….don't know what all of this even means…"

"Same…" Everything becomes quiet between the two for a moment before the blob continues to speak. "Alright. Guess I'll be heading inside to get some sleep."

"Me too. Hope that I don't get that nightmare again." She shivers as Cerise nods, agreeing with her. The two head inside of the room and close the door behind them.

During the next day, things seem peaceful; Everyone in the room sleep soundly in their exact spots last night. Then a sudden booming noise hits their ship, causing the gang to wake up immediately.

"Holy sweet whiskers of a Mienshao, what was that!?" Lucas shouts, latching onto Anna instantly. The Ninetales grows irritated as Jimmy performs a heroic pose.

"My heroic sense tells me that we're being attacked by an unexpected guest!" The Heracross proclaims, pointing at the background ship from the window.

Anna throws Lucas off from her and says, "Well no shit, genius! We need to go check it out and fast!". Everyone nods and heads outside, including Lucas after he gets up and follows along. The gang looks to the side to see the said ship firing a cannonball at their direction. The ship has a menacing design compared to Iris' ship; It having the flaming color red throughout its decor and a black flag having an image of a Nidoking wielding the skull symbol in its hand.

Iris notices the cannonball and grits her teeth. "Oh not on my watch." She says, immediately flying towards the ball itself. Her tail glows red aura around it and swipes at the cannonball, sending it flying away to the sky: Dragon Tail. Then she notices the ship closing in on her and hurries back onto her ship. It slams against the crew's ship after Iris landed on board, causing everyone to lose balance.

"Wh-Whoa!" Everyone yelps before looking at the other ship. They hear laughters coming from the ship as seven Pokemon appear onto theirs.

Iris rolls her eyes. "Oh dear, it's the Grant Crusaders." She confirms in a annoyed manner. Jimmy, Mark and Natalie look at the Dragonite in confusion.

"The Grant whom now?" Jimmy asks, scratching the side of his head. Tybalt, the Nidoking, cracks his fist while his lackeys behind him make some threatening poses.

"We're just a bunch of pirates that like to steal things and harm others for any loot they have in their homes." Tybalt says, grinning menacingly.

"Although, a certain Dragonite just had to ruin those lovely fun for us at the empty village known as the Noctis Village, mhm." Octo says in a mannerly tone.

Iris huffs and crosses her arms. "That's because you guys always do this in every area I'm in. Do it when I'm not around next time!"

The Grant Crusaders laugh at the Dragonite's comment. "But Iris, you're a pirate too. Aren't we supposed to work together to find some loot? Or better yet," Tybalt pauses and leans forward a bit, his hand on his knee. "Why aren't you stealing anything if you lot are supposed to be pirates as well?"

"It's because I have other priorities on my mind, rather than stealing some belongings from others that I'll rarely give a single Pokecent about."

"Pfft, now that's what you call the worst damn pirates ever!" Blake shouts, leading the Crusaders to laugh rudely. Iris squints her eyes while Lucas becomes vexed by the laughters.

"H-Hey! We did steal something before!" Lucas pouts, puffing up his face.

Ashen looks at him with a raised brow. "Uh, like what?" He says.

"Um...let me think about that, uhhh…."

Anna facepalms while Lucas attempts to think about what his crew stole. Mark and Natalie glance at the Crusaders' continuous laughter and poking fun of the gang, remaining still and engaging for a potential battle. "These guys sure are mean and threatening." Mark says calmly. Cerise nods, agreeing with the Riolu.

"Yes. I witnessed how they battle against Iris and her allies. They're not to be trifled with." Cerise says in a serious tone. Mark and Natalie catch their attention toward him.

"Wait, you know them?" Natalie asks.

"Well, yes. Sorta. I did mention that I was following you guys after that Noctis Forest incident so…" Cerise shrugs uneasily.

"I see...I guess that makes sense." Mark says, shrugging as well.

Iris sighs heavily before speaking. "Alright alright. The joke on me being the worst pirate is over with. And onto a more serious topic, why are you guys terrorizing us?"

Tybalt and the gang stop laughing as he stares at the Dragonite. "Heh, well we were originally going to go to some random island to find some treasures but then we saw your ship and decided to do exactly what you've said." Tybalt smirks. "Also, you've forgotten already about what I've told you if we meet again?"

Iris thinks for a moment then blinks into realization. "Oh."

"Wow. You even forget about what Tybalt said to you." Minx says, shaking her head. "So sad, man."

"Hey! At least I know that you guys want a rematch now." Iris cracks her neck before her and the others get in a battle position. "So let's see what you lot got in round 3."

"Round 3?" Jimmy asks confusedly.

"Our first round is where we first met. And the second was in the Noctis Village." Iris states.

"Oh."

The Crusaders glance at Iris and the gang while they stare back. "Alright, fellas. Let's really show them why we're known as the Grant Crusaders!"

The Crusaders shout "Yeah!" as they charge towards Iris and the others. The gang embraces themselves for the horde of attackers heading their direction; The Dragonite forms flames around her fist and punches Tybalt with Fire Punch while the others go to attack the rest of the Crusaders. Ashen and Lucas pounce on Octo and Pus with their Fury Swipes while Anna uses Flamethrower on Blake, a straight line of fire beaming toward his way intensely.

"Yikes!" Blake shouts, covering himself before Minx gets in the way. She takes the attack, groaning a bit from the burning touch on her skin. Soon, Anna stops and notices that Minx is now under the burn status, her skin turned red as she pants heavily.

"Oh wow." Anna says. "For a move that has the least amount of chance to burn someone, I sure be getting lucky with it."

"Oh dearie. I believe that you've made a grave mistake by giving me such a status. Not only is my attack not halved but also," Minx looks up at Anna, smirking eagerly. "My attack is boosted drastically because of the status condition, thanks to Guts." Anna's eyes widen, leading her to slowly back away from the Conkeldurr. Minx laughs and throws her pillar at her. The Ninetales ducks underneath it before suddenly getting slammed to the stomach by Minx's glowing red aura-like arm: Hammer Arm. Anna gasps, spitting out blood onto the ground. She is about to get blown away by the massive force of the attack until Minx grabs her by the foreleg and slams her down, causing her to yelp in pain.

Ashen hears the yelp and grits his teeth. _Anna!_ He thinks before he and Lucas get trapped under the Octillerys' tentacles; Octo slapping Ashen's head roughly while Pus slapping Lucas'.

"Hey! Ow! Stop! Ow! Hitting me-Ow! Like that! OW!" Lucas shouts as he keeps getting smacked by the Octillery.

The Octillery brothers chuckle in delight at the two Pokemon. "This is quite entertaining to give the brainless Furret a taste of knowledge for once." Pus says.

Octo nods, agreeing with the Octillery. "Same goes for the Linoone as well, brother." Ashen grunts in pain while Lucas strives to get out of the grasp.

"Hey! I don't-Ow! Need knowledge-Ow! If knowledge hurts this-Ow! Much! Owwwie!"

As the Octillerys continue messing around with the two, Blake walks to Minx and pats her on the back. "Phew. Thanks for saving my behind from that Flamethrower attack. I would've been so boned."

"Right. Just like every other time I have to save your ass, Blake. Learn to be useful for once and not have me do all the dirty work." The Conkeldurr giggles. Blake becomes furious and huffs, folding his arms in disapproval.

"Well excuse me miss muscular tough shot, I've done something beneficial for our crew."

"Like almost getting yourself killed or knocked out by one of those Emboar guards at Noctis?"

"...Oh hush up." Blake rolls his eyes while Minx reveals a smug look on her face.

"Get good, ice twig." She giggles once more, leading Blake to grumble at her insult. Then she looks at the Ninetales while pinning her down. "Bet my strength hurts, doesn't it?"

Anna coughs drastically, glaring at the Conkeldurr. "Nah. It feels like paradise in Clarity itself-OF COURSE IT HURTS!" She yells, groaning in pain.

Minx and Blake snicker before hearing Natalie's voice yelling "HEY!" loudly, grabbing the two's attention. "Leave Anna alone!" The Zorua exclaims, dashing toward the two.

"Heh, watch wreck this Zorua easily, Minx." Blake says, his claws turning metallic as he races to the Zorua's direction: Metal Claw. _I'll show her! I'll show her that I'm not worthless to the Crusaders!_ Natalie prepared her Night Daze attack, her forepaws glowing red as the two start swiping at each other. _For I am Blake, the Amazing Weavile!_ The two continue dodging each other's moves until Natalie dodges the Weavile's Metal Claw completely and slams him against the ship's pole. "Oof!" Natalie then turns her attention towards Minx and dashes towards her.

Minx shakes her head in disapproval. "God dammit, Blake. Can't even handle a flipping Zorua out of all things." She states, sighing afterwards.

Anna pants heavily while seeing the Zorua charging at Minx. "N-No, Natalie. She's strong. Real strong. Don't face-" She is cut off by Natalie swiping at Minx all over the place, trying to make some intimidating karate sounds. "Her…"

"Take that! And that! And this and that!" Natalie yells, continuing to slash the Conkeldurr. Soon, she stops and pants heavily. She looks at the Conkeldurr up and down to see not a single mark is formed on her beside the burning status she's currently in. "Uuh…" She gives the Conkeldurr an awkward look before gulping.

"Should've listen to her, girlie." Minx says before grabbing Natalie by the head. She yelps, shrieking in fear while being lifted. "Don't mind me slamming ya towards your helper, sweetcheeks."

"O-Oh no…" Natalie whimpers, catching Claire's attention. Claire leaves Mark and Jimmy to handle the Cradily and Poliwrath, dashing menacingly at Minx. Minx is about to throw the Zorua towards Anna until she winces from the burn damage.

"Ugh...I forgot about the burn." She says, annoyed by the damage. Soon she's hit by a red Discharge coming from Claire, screaming in massive pain. "Ah!" She and Natalie fall to the ground, the Conkeldurr being knocked out during the process.

"No one dares to harm my mistress! No one!" The Shinx exclaims with rage forming from her voice. Natalie looks around instantly, seeing Claire purring at her while walking towards her. "Are you alright, mistress?"

"Yeah, thankfully. I'd almost been choked to death, kicked in the stomach and slammed against a tree before. I don't want to add being crushed by a Conkeldurr to the list." Natalie says, laughing nervously as she sweatdrops.

"Eh. You'll get used to the pain given from others." The Shinx says in a casual manner.

Natalie raises her brow at her confusedly. "Uh...suuure…" Then she and Claire go to aid the Ninetales. "Are you alright, Anna?"

Anna grumbles uncomfortably. "Well, thanks to Minx, I'm in a lot of pain now…" She says, whimpering softly. "Back to square one, basically."

"Sorry for having you go through the pain again, Anna." Natalie whimpers as well, nuzzling against the Ninetales.

"Nah, don't be. You can heal me anyway so it's fine."

Natalie nods firmly. "Right. So Claire and I will try our best to protect you as I heal you...Well, just Claire trying to protect us, actually." The Zorua corrects herself.

Anna winces in pain. "But-" Then she notices that Iris is still handling Tybalt, him and her punching each other in the face as if they were in a boxing match and Ashen and Lucas are in a tough situation themselves. The Ninetales sighs heavily. "Alright...just be careful you two." The two Pokemon nod at her obediently, Natalie proceeding to heal her afterwards.

Meanwhile, Mark and Jimmy are battling Crisis and Mr. Buff; Mark blocks the pink tentacles attacking him from every angle with his bow while being careful of Crisis' Sludge Bomb. "Jeez, how are you multitasking so well!?" Mark yells, firing an arrow at the purple-like ball substance. Crisis chuckles proudly to himself.

"I've been training myself years and years of doing more than one thing at a time. Basically, practicing multitasking over and over. Arnold knows what I'm talking about, right?" Crisis says, continuing his attack. Mr. Buff becomes angry as he wrestles with Jimmy.

"Yes. I have seen you train since the day I've met you as a Poliwhirl. But what did I say about you calling me by my real name!? IT'S MR. BUFF! NOT ARNOLD!" The Poliwrath yells, grabbing Jimmy by the pincer and swinging him around.

"Aaah!" Jimmy screams due to his half pincer being grabbed as Mr. Buff leaps into the air and brings him and the Heracross towards the pole: Submission. Blake wakes up from his knocked out state before seeing the two bodies aiming at his direction.

"Oh shit!" Blake rolls forward to dodge from the two massive bodies, the Poliwrath slamming Jimmy against the pole and obliterating it. He winces from the recoil damage as the pole starts falling to the ground. Oddly enough, it didn't hit anyone. "Jeez. Give someone a heads up before you use that move, Arn-" Mr. Buff glares at the Weavile, having his foot pinning Jimmy down. "I-I mean, Mr. Buff. Heh heh…" Blake sweatdrops in a uneasy manner.

"And Crisis, don't call me that ever again! I told you numerous of times on not to call me by that _dead_ name. You don't hear me calling you by your real name, huh!?" Mr. Buff states, folding his arms while glaring at the Cradily.

Crisis snickers softly at the Poliwrath. "That's because Crisis _is_ my real name." The Cradily says, continuing to occupy the Riolu.

Mr. Buff rolls his eyes. "Oh right. Your parents were stupid when they gave you that name."

"Oh those sound like fighting words, Arnold." The Cradily says sarcastically.

"WHAT DID I JUST SAID!?"

"Don't call my _deceased_ parents stupid then." The Cradily lowers his defense, eyeing at the Poliwrath deadly.

"I can say whatever I want. Wanna do something about it!?" Mr. Buff takes his foot off from the Heracross, walking towards the Cradily.

"Might as well, _Arnold_."

"THAT DOES IT!" And within a flash, the two end up fighting each other. Punching and kicking noises are present along with some few insults as everyone else sweatdrop at the embarrassment they're witnessing. Even Octo and Pus, who are hanging Lucas and Ashen upside down, feel embarrassed by what they're seeing.

"And I thought I was the only one dealing with idiots…" Iris says, shrugging nervously.

"Tell me about it." Tybalt agrees, shaking his head. While this happens, Cerise tries to sneak away off into the ship's room.

 _Jeez. I don't know what I was thinking when coming out here in the open, since I can't defend myself…_ Cerise thinks, continuing to sneak away as everyone is being distracted. Blake seems to notice the blob sneaking away and jumps high in the air.

Mark's ear flickers as he looks at the Weavile. "Hmm?"

Blake lands in front of Cerise, grinning down at him. "Why hi there. Didn't know that you were here this whole time, little fella." Blake says. "You look pretty different compared to all the other Pokemon I saw before, too."

Cerise looks back at the Weavile and gulps, _Oh dear_ …

Mark soon gets in front of Cerise, using Force Palm on Blake. "I don't think so, pal!" He shouts. Blake counters the Riolu's attack with Metal Claw, glancing tensely at him.

"Hmm. I see that you're protecting this fella, huh?" Blake grins, him and Mark starting to attack each other repeatedly. "Let's see how long you can protect him, then!"

Tybalt stretches his body before grinning at Iris, Natalie, Claire and Anna. Minx begins to wake up from her knocked out state and stares at the four Pokemon. After Natalie finishes healing Anna, the four prepare themselves for the two opponents they're about to face. "Brace yourselves." Iris says, staring sternly at the Nidoking and Conkeldurr.

Soon, Lucas feels a raindrop falling onto his face. "What the...Raindrop?" He says before getting his body slammed down by Pus, coughing due to the amount of force bestowed into the slam. "Oof!"

"What on Solark are you talking about, brainless one?" Pus asks into curiosity. Ashen blinks while being tangled by Octo, glancing at the sky for a moment and seeing the clouds turning gray.

"Oh dear mother of the seas, it's about to rain!" Ashen shouts. Everyone stops what they're doing and looks at Ashen before feeling the numerous amounts of raindrops falling upon them.

"Ah crud. The rain sucks in the sea...especially since I'm...I'm a…." Tybalt's eyes widen in fear and realization. "GROUND TYPE!" He instantly looks at his crew, snapping his fingers towards his ship. "Come on, lackeys! We're getting out of here and fast!" The Crusaders nod and all return back to their ship immediately except for Tybalt. He remains on the ship for a brief moment, looking at the Dragonite and shrugs. "Sorry that our battle has to end this soon but it was great overall. Better than our last one."

Iris looks at the stormy clouds as she feels some rain showering on her and the others. "Uh...you're welcome."

"And be sure to not die in this rainstorm. Our rematch is still a thing, ya know."

"Yeah yeah, sure. Now get on your ship before you _won't_ have one."

The Nidoking nods and scurries off to his ship. "Get us outta here!"

"Aye Aye, captain!" The Crusaders say as the ship sails away quickly. Meanwhile, Ashen goes to immediately take the wheel and attempts to turn the ship around. Anna shakes in constant fear due to the weather.

"Oh dear oh dear...I don't want to die. Not right now!" Anna says, whimpering. "I just wanted to relax and then this happens!"

Iris shakes her calmly. "You're not going to die, Anna. We'll find a way out of this rainstorm. No need to panic."

"Uh...guys….This don't look good." Ashen says, pointing at something in front of him. Soon, the gang looks to see a big wave heading their way.

"...okay, panic." And just like that, everyone starts panicking.

"C-Crap! The egg! SOMEONE PROTECT THE EGG, PLEASE!" Anna yells drastically.

Natalie and Claire nod immediately at the Ninetales. "We got it, Anna!" Natalie says before she and the Shinx rush towards the room. Iris then turns her attention back to Ashen.

"Steer the ship away!"

"I'm trying but it seems like it's stuck or something!"

Soon, the massive wave begins to engulf the ship as everyone screams in terror. Everything fades into darkness afterwards.

 _End of Chapter 12._


	14. Chapter 13

**_Author's note:_** ** _Hey everyone. Forgot to mention this in the Prologue of MM if you're still reading this fanfic by then. This fanfic is planned to contain every single Pokemon in it. Including forms (Core series only) and Mega evolution. I'll also involve shiny Pokemon in this fanfic but not all of them, of course. Just some. I'll even take suggestions from you guys to introduce one if I could. You'll never know. This fanfic means so much to me and I'm happy that you all are enjoying it if you've read it this far. Anyway, let me know what you think about this chapter and us entering our first official arc. Without further ado, enjoy._**

 ** _P.S. - If Cloyster is your least favorite Pokemon then...I'm sorry, you'll see a lot of those for awhile._**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Welcome to the Lost Cloyster Kingdom.**

 _Cloyster Kingdom Arc._

Nothing but darkness can be shown within the setting at first. However, a female voice begins to groan in an unpleasant manner. That voice being Iris.

"U-Ugh…" The Dragonite says, the darkness beginning to brighten from her point of view. Blurry visions sparkle in her eyes for a moment before she goes to rub them, looking around her surroundings afterwards. "Where am I…?" She looks up at the blue sky and sees the clouds hovering in a serene, slow movement. She then lets her hand touch the ground and notices how soft and gritty it feels before looking down at it. _Sand?_ She thinks to herself before hearing other grunting noises. She turns around to see her crewmates: Ashen lying on Anna's back, Lucas gets his head stuck in the sand while constantly trying to get out, and the other four are lying down on their backs uncomfortably while Natalie has the egg on her stomach, Cerise being on top of that egg. Iris sighs in relief. _At least the crew is still in one piece…_

Anna begins to groan. "J-Jeez, that wave lifted us away like we were a bunch of objects…" She says, shaking her head while rubbing it. The Ninetales then sees the Linoone lying on top of her, snarling at him. "H-Hey! Get off of me, Ashen!" Ashen wakes up and rubs his eyes.

"H-Huh?" The Linoone says, blinking curiously before noticing that he's on Anna's back. "O-Oh! I'm sorry, Anna!" He immediately gets off from the Ninetales before hearing muffling sounds. "...That noise sounds like-" He gasps and looks to see his brother's head being stuck in the sand. "Lucas!" He rushes to aid the Furret as Anna brushes herself off. Everyone else begin to wake up and moan, forming conversations about their stranded location.

"Not like I know where we are, anyway." Natalie says, shrugging.

"Same here. This seems new to me." Cerise agrees while dozing off a bit. Jimmy looks to the side and sees Ashen pulling Lucas, eyes widening at the travesty.

"Dear mercy of Arceus, Lucas seems to be in trouble!" Jimmy exclaims before helping Ashen with the pull. Claire becomes annoyed by the word 'Arceus', snarling a bit. Natalie, Mark and Cerise look at her confusedly.

"Is something wrong?" Cerise asks. Claire blinks for a moment, staring into outer space before looking at the three.

"Oh nothing. Just being silly for no reason as usual." Claire says with a cute smile. The three raise their brows at the odd Shinx with weird looks spreading across their faces.

"Oookay. How about we go help Lucas, hmm?" Natalie says with a sweatdrop.

"Yep. Sounds about right." Mark agrees. Then the three go to help the Linoone, Natalie setting the egg down during the process. Cerise, Iris and Anna look at the three helping the two Pokemon, Iris sighing at the sight.

 _Well, at least one person decides to have his head stuck in the sand somehow._ Iris thinks before the five Pokemon yank Lucas out of the sand. Lucas flies off behind them and rolls around in the sand a bit. Ashen rushes toward him and helps him up.

"You alright, Lucas?" He asks him. Lucas looks up at him and smiles warmly.

"Yep! I'm a-okay!" Lucas replies.

"Well, I'm glad to he-" Ashen pauses to notices Lucas' eye patch not being on his face, seeing one eye having the color blue instead of black. He sees the eye charging something before immediately backing away. "O-Oh snap!" Blue laser comes flying out of the Furret, watching it aim toward the sky. Natalie, Mark, Jimmy, Claire and Cerise widen their eyes at the unexpected laser.

"What the hell!?" Anna says, blinking in surprised. Ashen turns toward the others.

"Guys! Go get Lucas' eye patch, immediately!" Ashen yells, eyeing at the Furret looking all over the place while shooting lasers from his eye.

"What's wrong?" Lucas asks before realizing the lasers, shrieking in fear before covering his left eye immediately. "Oh no! Wh-Where's my eye patch!?"

"U-Uh…" Mark says in a nervous tone, scratching the back of his head confusedly before Iris facepalms.

"Oh wow. First we don't know where we are, now Lucas has lost his patch again. Can someone please find it?" Iris asks in an annoyed manner.

"Hmm...It should be where we pull him out, right?" Jimmy predicts, looking at the hole Lucas' head used to be in. He sees the black eye patch being in the hole and grabs it. Then he rushes toward Lucas, handing him the patch. "Here you go, good sir!" The Heracross says happily. Lucas looks at the eyewear and puts it on his blue eye immediately, tying it behind his head.

"Thanks, mate. Hehe. I almost caused another madness with my eye for a moment." The Furret says happily, chuckling to himself.

"ANOTHER MADNESS!?" Anna, Mark and Natalie exclaim, all becoming curious about the Furret. Ashen chuckles nervously, scratching the back of his head.

"Long story short: My brother was born with this Mythical Power that allowed him to zap these magical lasers at his opponents with different effects." Ashen explains.

"Yeah! I called this Mythical Power the...' _Magic Eye_ '!" Lucas says happily. The gang all sweatdrop at the name, Anna squinting her eyes at him.

"Jeez, could you think of something creative than 'Magic Eye'?" Anna says with an annoyed tone. Lucas pouts, folding his arms.

"Hey! It took me awhile to think of the perfect MP name for this here special eye." He looks away from the group, having his eyes shut. "Plus, the effects acts like it's magic. Hence the name 'Magic Eye', mate."

Anna chuckles to herself, shaking her head. "Whatevs." She then looks at Iris. "Anyway, you knew about this, Iris?"

The Dragonite nods. "Yes. When I first met Ashen and Lucas, I saw Lucas firing the MP like crazy at me. Then again, I did attempt to eat the two so...he has every right to do so." Iris says, shrugging awkwardly.

"Haha, yeah…that wasn't a good idea." Ashen agrees, sweatdropping. "So the reason why he hasn't been using it in battles because he's unable to control it."

"Yeah. It's not an easy task to control it, apparently. Hence why I ended up wearing this eyepatch I got from Miracle Town." Lucas says, sighing softly.

"I see." Anna says. "I thought the eyepatch was there for him to look like a pirate or something."

"Yeah. Sorry for not addressing that to you before." Iris says, looking off to the ground.

"Eh. It's fine, Iris. And besides, I find it unique for that airhead to receive such an amazing MP."

"Why thank you, ma-Wait, h-hey!" Lucas frowns at the Ninetales, seeing her giggling at him.

Mark stares at Lucas in amazement. "Well it's cool that you do have that kind of power...Though, I'm not sure on what 'Mythical Powers' are." Mark says, scratching the side of his head.

"Same here." Jimmy agrees.

"I'd like to know as well." Cerise follows along.

"I mean…" Anna shrugs and goes to explain Mythical Powers to the three. While that happens, Iris turns to see the crew's ship being utterly destroyed. Parts all over the place, the cots being upside down, and everything else being out of order. Iris strokes her head before kicking the sand angrily.

"God dammit!" Iris shouts, grabbing everyone's attention.

"Hmm?" Anna blinks before seeing the wrecked ship, her and the others all groaning unhappily. "Well that's great! Our ship is gone!" She says, sighing heavily.

Iris thinks for a moment before gasping. "The bag!" She exclaims, looking all around immediately. She then stops to see the bag hanging by an already broken pole and flies toward it. The gang watches her reach the bag and take it, returning back to the group afterwards. "The bag has the Caller inside of it. I figured if I get it out, it'll tell us where we are."

"I see." Jimmy says, putting his hand against his chin before Iris starts digging in her bag. She pulls out some Pokedollars and puts it back. Then pulls out the phone-like device, sighing in relief.

"Alright. Let's see if Mavel is telling the truth." Iris glances at the device, scratching the side of her head. She sees a bunch of digits and options all over the device, blinking in confusion. "Uh...not sure how to work this thing." The gang all blink and come close to her, Natalie having the egg be on her back as she and the others stare at the Caller. Cerise hops on Iris' shoulder and looks at the device as well. "Hmm…" Iris frowns, focusing more on the device. Jimmy notices a icon on one of the digits having an planet-like map on it.

"Hey, what does that do?" Jimmy asks, pointing at the icon. Iris blinks and looks at the icon.

"Not sure. But let's find out." The Dragonite presses the digit, seeing the small screen on the Caller show a hologram map popping out of it. The gang all look at the map, astonishment blossoming their faces as they gasp.

"Whoa…" All of them say, looking at the map.

"I never thought a Caller could do something like this." Iris says before seeing three questions in the middle. One says 'What is a Caller?', the second saying 'Do you want to know where you are?', and the third says 'What are the digits for?'. There's also the option in the corner saying 'Register your name here' but Iris' eyes are focusing on the second question, excitement filling throughout her body. "Yes! Looks like Mavel is telling the truth about this thing. Man I can see this thing being mighty useful."

"Yeah. What a relief for you to receive that gift, Iris." Ashen says softly while smiling. Everyone agrees with him except for Lucas, who flickers his ear at the words 'useful' and 'gift'. Lucas then forms a sinister look on his face.

 _So that Caller is a gift and could be useful on your adventure, eh?_ Lucas thinks, rubbing his hands so sinisterly. Anna looks at the Furret and notices the look on his face.

"Uh, Lucas?" She asks before the Furret snatches the Caller out of Iris' hand and throws it across the sea, seeing it land into the water.

"HA! That's what you get for forcing me to remove the statue Ashen and I worked so hard on!" Lucas yells, laughing while performing a victory pose. "REVENGE IS MINE!" Iris and Anna twitch their eyes and glance at the Furret. Ashen and the others sweatdrop, looking at the three.

"Lucas...What. The. Hell!?" Iris shouts. "We would've know where we are from that Caller!"

"So? You didn't seem to care about my hard work so why should I care about your Caller?" Lucas questions Iris, folding his arms and eyeing her.

"Because we're in the middle of nowhere! You flipping idiot!" Anna snarls.

Lucas looks around for a bit to realize the Dragonite is right, laughing nervously to himself. "Haha...W-well, you know...um…" Iris and Anna look at each other for a moment and nod, proceeding to beat up the Furret. Punching and kicking sounds being heard from such violence as Cerise hops off from Iris immediately.

"YIKES!" Cerise shouts, landing onto Natalie's head. Ashen grits his teeth at the sudden action, lifting his arms up nervously.

"U-Uh, h-hey! No need for that, please Iris and Anna!" Ashen says worriedly.

"Oh we're just giving him a piece of our minds on why that's a bad idea!" Iris yells, continuing the punches and kicks.

"Oof! Ow! Oh no no! Not there! Anything but there! Owie!" Lucas yelps as Ashen and the others wince and cringe at the sight. However, Claire is the only one giggling at the madness going on.

"This is quite the quality entertainment, huh mistress? Hehe." Claire says, continuing her gigglefest as she elbows the Zorua.

Natalie and Cerise blink at her, raising their brows. "Uh...pretty sure seeing someone getting beating up isn't entertaining at all." The Zorua says, shrugging awkwardly before forming a confused look on her face. "Hey wait a second...Is that a pathway in front of us?" Iris and Anna stop fighting Lucas and look at Natalie, Iris gripping his ear while Anna pins him down.

"Hmm? Pathway?" The three Pokemon say, seeing the Zorua pointing at something in front of her. Everyone looks to see a yellow pathway with grassy fields on the sides.

"Hmm. Maybe the pathway could lead us to somewhere. That way, we'll _probably_ know where we are." Iris says, letting go of the Furret. "Don't quote me on that."

"Hmm. You may be right, Iris." Anna replies, getting off from Lucas as the Furret pants heavily. He has bruises all over his body while showing a ton of silly expressions.

"U-Ugh...I think I'm seeing spinning Duckletts above me." Lucas says, letting his tongue hang out as Ashen goes to aid him. The Dragonite and Ninetales look at the others as Anna brushes herself off with her tails.

"Come on guys. Let's see what this pathway lead us to." Iris suggests. "Hopefully to find a seaport around here so that we can get ourselves a new ship."

"Okay!" Mark says happily. Iris and Anna then proceed to follow the pathway along with the others, Ashen having Lucas' arm around his neck.

"And by the way, Iris, I _will_ quote you on that." Anna says with a smirk.

"Anna!" Iris shouts before sighing heavily, leading the Ninetales to giggle.

"I was joking... _maybe_."

The Dragonite rolls her eyes before continuing on foot. While walking along the pathway, Ashen looks at Lucas, disappointment spreading throughout his face. "Th-Thanks for the lift, mate." Lucas says. Ashen sighs gently at him.

"You're welcome...And Lucas, was that necessary?" Ashen asks.

"Necessary!? Was Iris commanding us to remove our hard work from the ship necessary?" Lucas complains, squinting his eyes at the Linoone.

"I mean, I understand that what she did was selfish of her but what you did _was_ uncalled for and really screwed us up."

"B-But...Ashen, she did something unfair. Why am I the blame for this?"

"Because you ruined our chance in finding out where we are."

Lucas looks off to the side and sighs. "I'm sorry, bro. But...I just hate having my effort being wasted." He slowly begins to tear up. "She knew how hard we've worked on it, either way. So it hurts me that she forced us to ship it away just like that…" Ashen nods and pats him on the back.

"I understand, Lucas. I understand." Ashen continues patting the Furret while Lucas streams tears down his face. Mark, Jimmy, Natalie and Cerise look at the Furret, cheering him up as well.

After several minutes of walking, the gang sees a small town from a distance. "Hey look! I see a town up ahead!" Natalie says, pointing at the town. Everyone looks at the town, all sighing in relief.

"Finally! Now hopefully the folks over there knows where we can find a seaport at." Iris says.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Anna says eagerly, being the first to dash off towards the town before everyone else. The gang huffs and puffs while running to their location, seeing more details of the town as they run down the pathway hill. Soon, they reach their destination, stopping by the entrance to the town.

"Hmm?" Iris says, eyeing at the town. Anna looks at the Dragonite, tilting her head slightly.

"Is something wrong?" The Ninetales asks.

"This town...It doesn't look as lively as all the other places we've been through."

And Iris is right; The town is filled with slightly broken homes having some windows being shattered here and there, and not many stores are open. Some stores even look destroyed or shut down. Within this town, lies two kinds of Pokemon; The first being black pearl-like creatures with two round white eyes (with tiny black pupils), long red tongue, and a spiky, blue-violet bivalve shell: Shellder. And the second being another black pearl-like creatures but with a light grey shell (which is surrounded by another blue-violet shell), has a barb-like spike sticking out from above their heads, and has two eyes and a mouth: Cloyster. The town seems to only have those kinds of Pokemon in it as the gang explores around it. Some of the Cloysters and Shellders look at the gang while the others continue their chatting or mobbing.

"Huh. This town isn't as energetic as the others." Anna agrees, blinking surprisingly. "In fact, it's a bit sad from the looks of it."

Claire shrugs uncomfortably. "Indeed. I can sense a lot of negative presence from this town." Claire says firmly. Anna looks at her.

"You can?"

"Yeah. Claire has this unique hidden power that allows her to sense any Pokemon's positive or negative presence." Natalie answers. "It's a pretty cool power."

Mark blinks at the Shinx. "Whoa. I didn't know you can do that...In fact, I'm wondering if that's a Mythical Power you're born with." Mark says, wagging his tail eagerly.

Natalie looks at Claire oddly. "Yeah...you do have a point there, Mark."

Claire shrugs as the others look at her, finding her power intriguing as well. "Well...it's not a 'Mythical Power' as you would call it. Again, it's...just a hidden power. That's all." Claire says, laughing nervously as she sweatdrops.

Iris glances at the Shinx for a moment. _You're hiding something, Claire. And I'll find out eventually…_ Iris thinks before looking at a random Cloyster sitting on a chair next to a house. The Dragonite walks toward the Cloyster as the others follow. The Cloyster slowly looks at her, having wrinkles underneath his eyes to indicate his age. "Excuse me, sir. Do you know where we are?" Iris asks the Cloyster.

The Cloyster coughs for a moment before speaking. "You're in Cloy Town, madam. A town...that used to be filled with joy and happiness…" The Cloyster says in an old, grizzled tone. The gang all look at each other for a moment before looking at the Cloyster.

"I see...and why did you say that?"

"Because…" The Cloyster looks beyond the town. "Of that very existence of a kingdom…" The crew looks at what the Cloyster is glancing at, seeing a huge castle being in the background. "The Cloyster Kingdom."

Anna blinks curiously, taking her eyes back to the Cloyster. "What did the kingdom do to take the town's happiness away?" She asks the Cloyster, forming a grim look on her face. The Cloyster is about to answer until a female voice screams, leading the crew to be alerted by it.

"Seems like someone is in trouble!" Jimmy says in a heroic tone. The Cloyster seems even more alerted by this, terror forming within his eyes.

"M-My daughter! It sounds like my daughter!" The Cloyster shouts before getting out of his chair and floating off a bit slowly.

"Hey! Wait up, sir!" Iris says, following the Cloyster along with the others. Claire squints her eyes, frowning a bit.

"Mistress." The Shinx says while she runs.

"Yes?" Natalie replies, running as well while being aware of the egg on her back.

"I'm having that same bad feeling as I did in Verdant."

"Oh that was coincidence the other time. This time surely things won't go wrong."

As the gang cuts from one corner to another within the deserted town, they stop to see one Cloyster getting harassed by three Cloysters with gray spears. The singular Cloyster seems to be protecting a Shellder that has a piece of ice wrapped around her tongue.

"Norah!" The old Cloyster shouts, fear spreading across his face.

"Let us arrest your daughter for stealing the NeverMeltIce at the Freeze Store!" The first Cloyster demands, continuing the stab on the female Cloyster's shell. The female Cloyster, Norah, whimpers from each vicious stab.

"Lower the price for the NeverMeltIce and we wouldn't have this problem!" Norah yells, still shielding the Shellder. The Shellder winces and sobs from the situation going on.

"I-I'm sorry for this, mommy." The Shellder says, sniffling.

"I-It's going to be o-Ah! ...kay."

The three Cloysters become infuriated as they jab the spear harder at Norah's shell. "Ma'am, let go of your daughter or so help us we'll break your shell!" The second Cloyster yells angrily. Norah's shell begins to have a small crack on it, causing the old Cloyster to tremble in terror.

"Stop hurting my daughter! Please!" The Cloyster pleads. The first Cloyster looks at the old Cloyster and the crew, forming an annoyed face.

"Shut it, old man! Or you'll be arrested too for interfering!" The first Cloyster says, going back to jabbing Norah with his spear. The old Cloyster winces, tears sliding from his eyes as he begins to sob. The crew looks at the Cloyster, feeling sorrow for him witnessing the tragic event. Iris squints her eyes and grits her teeth, forming a fist before immediately walking towards the madness going on. Anna blinks, seeing the Dragonite taking off with no question ask.

"I-Iris!" Anna calls out for her. The gang watches the Dragonite as she engulfs her fist into flames and uses Fire Punch on the third Cloyster, leading him to crash into one of the buildings. The Cloysters and Shellders gasp and stare at the Dragonite, witnessing the chaotic violence in suspense.

"The old man did say please, huh?" Iris says, snarling at the two Cloysters.

The two Cloysters stop their stab and look at her. "And who the heck are you!?" The first Cloyster yells.

"I'm the Dragonite that's about to haunt your dreams if you refuse to stop harming the Cloyster and her child!"

Norah and the old Cloyster look at Iris, feeling a bit relieved.

"We're saved." Norah says, smiling slowly.

"Alright Ms. Heroine. Since you want to interfere with our interrogation, you might as well be arrested, too." The first Cloyster says.

"Just try to arrest me, you jerks!"

The first Cloyster grunts angrily before taking a deep breath and blowing light blue sparkles from his mouth. Iris and the others look at the sparkles reaching the air, seeing them forming into long, big group of icicles. The Cloyster uses Icicle Crash onto Iris, aiming the icicles at her. "Iris!" Mark shouts, taking his bow out of his back. Iris is hit by the attack, blocking it with her arms as she grunts and gets pushed away slightly.

After the attack ends, Iris lowers her arms and sighs heavily. The first and second Cloyster widen their eyes in shock. "What!? But. How are you still standing!? That move should've oneshot you!" The second Cloyster says, confused by the scenario. Iris smirks at the two.

"Good thing I was born with an hidden ability. Allowing me to have Multiscale: An ability that allows me to have a chance of tanking a move half the time. Even super effective ones." Iris says, stretching a bit before giggling. "About time that thing activates though."

"Grr. Well, I have Skill Link. So try to tank five of my Icicle Spears!" The first Cloyster says before closing his eyes, forming five icicles in front of him and shooting them at Iris: Icicle Spear. Iris gasps before seeing fire burning the icicles in front of her, noticing the crew being besides her.

"If you harm Iris, then you'll have to harm us, too." Anna says.

"Yeah!" Everyone says, except for Lucas and Cerise. Lucas gets behind Jimmy and scratches the back of his head while Cerise gets behind the old Cloyster.

"Sorry mate but I can't fight alongside with someone that GOTTEN RID OF MY HARD WORK!" Lucas says, glancing at Iris. Iris rolls her eyes.

"Really? You're still on that? Jeez, you better be happy that I still cook for you!"

"Well, I don't care about your cooking, mate!"

"Fine. No more Fryin' Ready Berries for you then."

"Whatever, Iris! I can cook on my own!" Lucas crosses his arms.

"Please, you can't even cook grass itself if you wanted to. You'll burn those within seconds."

"No way!"

"Yes way."

"No way!" Lucas becomes furious, gripping his fist.

"Yes way." Iris glares at the Furret.

"I said no-"

Ashen interrupts Lucas. "Oh will you two stop fighting!? We got bigger things to worry about. Like the Cloyster heading towards us right-" Ashen then gets slammed to the ground by the first Cloyster's spear, groaning in pain. "...now."

The crew notices the Cloyster and attacks him all at once, Natalie having the egg knocked down onto the ground during the process. "Ow! Eek! Oof!" The Cloyster yelps before being thrown toward the second Cloyster. The second dodges the Cloyster, seeing him sliding across the ground before looking at the crew.

Iris snarls and has two of her fists being engulfed in flames while Anna growls deeply with fire slowly forming from her mouth. Lucas glances at the Cloyster, folding his arms in a unimpressed manner as Mark forms an arrow in his hand and Jimmy cracking his own fist. Natalie and Claire grit their teeth, Natalie forming a Shadow Ball from her paw while Claire's body becomes surrounded by red electricity. Ashen gets up and rubs his face, glaring at the Cloyster. The Cloyster seems intimidated by the crew, backing away slowly.

"Y-Yikes! The eight of you against one of me!" The second Cloyster says, gulping in fright.

Norah and her daughter float to the gang, immediately nuzzling against the old Cloyster and sighing in relief. "Father!" Norah says happily.

"Norah! My sweet little angel!" The Cloyster says, nuzzling back before looking at Iris. "Thank you for helping her, kind lady."

Iris laughs softly and folds her arms. "You're welcome, sir. I was the only one that kicked those Cloyster's behinds, after all." Iris says proudly, staring at her nails with a smug expression. Anna raises her brow at the Dragonite in concern.

"Uh, no. You didn't take them on by yourself." Anna corrects her.

"Pfft, sure. Says the one that just sat there and watched."

"I literally used Flamethrower on those Icicle Spears to save your ass. What are you talking about!?" Anna frowns at Iris.

"Yeah. And we even beat up the Cloyster at once after he hit my bro." Lucas replies, frowning at the Dragonite as well.

"So? You guys did so little while I did a lot." Iris combats.

"What? So you're saying we're no help to you?" Natalie questions, raising her brow in disbelief. Claire snarls deeply.

"Hey! Mistress isn't useless!" Claire shouts.

"Yeah! And neither am I!" Mark says, joining along.

"Nor am I." Jimmy agrees.

"Hell, you didn't even thank me for that Flamethrower earlier! REALLY!?" Anna yells.

Ashen glances at the Dragonite. "Okay. I'm starting to side with my brother on your selfishness now, Iris." He says, folding his arms.

"I knew it! First my hard work, now this! SHE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING WE DO!" Lucas shouts, leading to him and the others arguing with Iris. The gang all start yelping and yapping, having the Pokemon around them to become vexed by the argument. Cerise gets from behind the old Cloyster as him, Norah and the Shellder look at the blob-like creature.

"Are your...friends normally like this?" The old Cloyster asks curiously.

Cerise looks back and chuckles softly. "N-Noo...they're not, as far as I know." He answers to them, sweatdropping afterwards. Norah looks at the crew, shrugging awkwardly.

"I...see." She says before sighing.

Soon, a loud horn noise catches everyone's attention, all turning to see an army filled with black spear wielding Cloysters. In front of the army of Cloysters lies one Cloyster with a larger barb-like spike from above his head. A Cloyster next to him seems to put away their horn as the other Cloysters and Shellders go to hide in their homes, afraid to even remain out in front of the group.

 _This doesn't look good._ Cerise thinks to himself as the crew stops arguing and notices the army of Cloysters. The blob goes to hide inside of a trash can near one of the broken homes, eyeing the army from a flat blob being located on top of one of the homes.

"Uh...Where did they come from?" Jimmy asks, scratching the side of his head.

The second Cloyster immediately rushes to the larger barb Cloyster. "Senator Sheer! Oh thank goodness you've arrived!" The second Cloyster exclaims, panting heavily. "These group of destructive beings has interrupted me and the other guards on arresting a Shellder for stealing!"

Sheer, the larger barbed Cloyster, glances at the Cloyster firmly before looking at the crew. "Exo, you keep disappointing me the more I have to fix your problems." Sheer says to the Cloyster, glaring at the crew while some of the other Cloyster guards go to aid the other two knocked out Cloysters.

"Hehe, well, you know sir. I, um...L-look, this time it wasn't my fault." Exo, the second Cloyster, says.

"Yeah yeah. Save your excuse for another time, Exo. Right now, let's arrest that group of Pokemon over there. Including those who you were trying to take in as well."

"Y-Yes sir!"

The Cloyster guards walk towards the gang, all of which are ready to attack. "Don't worry, everyone. My Discharge could easily knock these guys out in no time." Claire says, letting her body becomes shrouded by electricity again.

Sheer looks at the Shinx and smirks. "Well, that's where you're wrong." The larger barbed Cloyster says before having his eyes glow blue. Claire's electricity fades away from her body, leaving her blink into curiosity.

"Huh? What's going on with my Discharge?" Claire closes her eyes, trying to use her electric attack once more but couldn't. She sighs heavily, frowning. "Well that's not good."

Jimmy chuckles humbly. "No need to worry, dear Claire. They're weak to Fighting type moves. And I'm a Fighting type. So I'll run through this like it's nobody's business." Jimmy states proudly before dashing off. Anna and Iris notice the Cloyster grinning, worriedness forming across their faces.

"Jimmy, wait! Don't do-" Iris is interrupted by Jimmy's sudden groan, seeing him almost about to use Close Combat on Sheer. She notices his body remaining still as the Heracross grunts, his fist almost close to the Cloyster's face. "...that…"

Sheer laughs calmly at the Heracross, eyeing him. "Ah. At least when I get the job done, I get the enjoyment from it." He says. Soon, the crew becomes surrounded by a bunch of Cloyster guards. Iris snarls as her fist gets shrouded in flames but suddenly fades away.

"What the?" She says, looking at her fist confusedly. Anna growls at the guards and opens her mouth to use Flamethrower but nothing comes out.

"Hmm?" Anna says, blinking curiously. "Hey! What gives!? Why can't I use my move?"

Natalie tries to form her Shadow Ball while Lucas tries to use a icy-like presence in his hand: Ice Beam. Both of those moves fail to happen as the two look in confusion, Sheer smirking widely with his eyes glowing blue. "Take them away to the king's castle, guards." Sheer orders. The guards nod firmly before cornering the gang, old Cloyster, Norah and her child. They force them to walk on a pathway leading to the castle as the gang struggles in their grasp.

"Ergh. I don't understand. Why couldn't we use our moves?" Natalie asks, shifting her body from the grasp.

Iris lays her eyes on the larger barbed Cloyster, seeing his eyes remaining blue as she glances. "I don't know, Natalie. But I get the feeling that it has something to do with him…"

The Shellder looks at Norah, tearing up in misery as she's being forced to walk on the pathway. "M-Mommy...I'm scared. I-I only stole it just to feed you, me and g-grampa." The Shellder says, whimpering in fear. "I'm sorry to drag us into this, m-mommy…" Norah sighs and nudges against the Shellder.

"It's okay, Azure. At least I'm happy to know that you cared about us..." Norah replies, smiling sorrowfully at the Shellder.

Cerise pokes his head out of the trash can, blinking at the scenario. "Oh no..." He says before seeing Exo being given the Pokemon Egg by one of the other guards.

"Oooo. A Pokemon Egg. I'll let the king decide if he wants to eat this or not." Exo says before floating off with the others. Cerise gulps, his eyes widening in paranoia.

"Okay. Now things are certainly not looking good."

Soon, the crew and the three Pokemon begin to disappear from Cerise's sight as he decides to get out of the trash can and follow them.

 _End of Chapter 13._


	15. Chapter 14

**_Author's note: Hello, everyone. Here's an new chapter for MM and hopefully you enjoyed it...if you're reading this right now, of course. Let me know what you think about it as per usual and without further ado, enjoy!_ n_n**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Introduction to Unfairness.**

 _Cloyster Kingdom Arc._

The crew continues to be taken away by force. Sheer and Exo are in front of the group, Iris and the others restrained within the Cloyster guards' grasp as they exit the pathway and enter another town area. The town is filled with Cloysters and Shellders just like Cloy Town but instead, lively and energetic. The Shellders are playing games with each other such as Freeze Tag, and the Cloysters tend to be socializing with each other happily. As if they're in a land of everlasting joy. The town also contains a few houses and shops on either side, and a water fountain that has an Cloyster statue wearing a crown and robe while wielding a staff, spewing water from its mouth.

By one of the houses on the left lies three Cloysters. One is speaking boldly to the other two as they giggle at him. "Yeah. So I told one of the king's men, 'Sheer can't beat me in a spike off. Because my spike is more superior and stronger than his!' And they laughed." The Cloyster says, grinning to himself as the two female Cloysters giggle once more. The Cloyster continues speaking as Sheer and the group appear near him. "So I laughed as well, knowing that they agree with me."

"I'm pretty sure those guards laughed _at_ you. Not _with_ you, Mat." Sheer says calmly, leading the Cloyster to jump from his sudden presence and stand firmly.

"Wh-Whoa! Senator Sheer!" Mat, the male Cloyster, says as he bows down slightly to him. "What brings you here?"

"Just happened to catch some troublemakers in Cloy Town, that's all." Sheer answers, eyeing Iris and the others. Mat looks at them as well.

"And who might those be-" Mat pauses for a moment and gasps as he sees Norah, Azure and Norah's father. He sees the crew as well, but his eyes remain focused on Norah, gritting his teeth and forming anxiety across his face before looking back at Sheer. "Senator, with all due respect, mind telling me what she did wrong?" The Cloyster asks.

Sheer raises his brow at Mat in a concerning manner. "From what Exo told me, she was protecting her child from him and the other guards after her child stole an NeverMeltIce from a shop owner."

"If it didn't cost over two thousand Pokedollars, then maybe she wouldn't have stolen it." Norah says, lowering her brow at Sheer. Sheer glances at her.

"Zip it, peasant." He says before eyeing back at Mat. Norah huffs as the large barbed Cloyster continues to speak. "Anyway, you don't happen to know this Cloyster lady, do you?" Sheer scans Mat, looking at him as if he did something wrong.

Mat gulps and shakes his head. "No sir. N-Not at all."

"Even her family?" Sheer addresses. Mat shakes his head in a response to the Cloyster's question. "Hmm...Even the disgusting looking Dragonite and her filthy friends?"

"Hey!" Iris yells, her and the crew glaring at Sheer. Mat looks at them and shakes his head immediately.

"Nope. I definitely don't know _them_." Mat says quickly. Sheer blinks at the quick reaction from Mat, glancing at him. Mat stares back, sweats forming down his forehead as his body shakes slightly.

"I see. Carry on with your silly impression on the ladies while I go take these rule breaking rascals to the king." Sheer says calmly, floating away from Mat. The guards follow him, forcing Iris and the others to come along, of course. Norah looks behind and stares at Mat, seeing him staring at her. The two Cloysters beside Mat look at the group curiously as Mat opens his lips and moves them silently, lip-syncing the words 'I'm sorry'. Norah forms a stern look on her face before a guard tells her to keep going, leading her to focus on the road in front of her.

Meanwhile, Sheer and the others make it to a fence gate in front of them. They can see the big castle in a better view instead of it being as the background view. Two guards seem to be in front of the gate, looking at Sheer before they nod and open the gate. The gate opens slowly as the group walk enter, heading towards the big castle on a pathway. The castle looks rather medieval, having a couple of windows on the left and right side, its color being mostly white with some gray on the sides, and a huge brown door.

 _Hmm...Interesting how Mat answered slowly when I asked him if he knew about the Cloyster, but answered quickly when I asked him if he knew the Dragonite and her friends. Could it be that he was lying to me about the Cloyster?_ Sheer thinks, letting his mind wonder into thoughts as he and the others continue onward on the pathway. As the gate behind them closes, Cerise manages to crawl past it quickly. He hides in the grass on the right side of the pathway, following the group. Exo rushes to the front door and opens it widely, letting Sheer and the others enter the castle.

"You're welcome, sir." Exo says to Sheer, bowing to him elegantly. Sheer nods and continues forward. As the group enters inside, Exo closes the door behind him before Cerise enters just within the nick of time. Exo blinks for a moment, seeing something green and quick entering the castle. "Hmm!?" Exo looks around, tilting his head a bit in confusion. "Strange. Could've sworn that I saw something enter the castle just now…" He then sighs and shrugs. "Oh well. Must be hallucinating or something." He chuckles, still having the Pokemon Egg within his possession as he catches up with the others. In the corner, Cerise sticks his head out of a random vase and sighs in relief.

"Phew...That was close." The blob says before hopping out of the vase and following the group while staying hidden. As for the castle itself, the inside has some complex elegance to it. With portraits of a Cloyster wielding a staff, wearing a red cape and a crown all being hung from different places on the walls. The Cloyster within the portraits has a rather blue color on its shell than the blue-violet color, unlike any of the others. A shiny Cloyster, that is. The castle walls are also the color red and yellow, and the castle contains some decor such as vases, pots, tables and more.

Ahead of the group lies three Cloysters. Two are wielding gray spears while the other is holding a staff. The staff being color yellow with the blue color at the top of it. The staff Cloyster is sitting in a semi-tall chair, him wearing a red cape and crown just like from the portraits as he looks off to the distance. The two Cloysters beside him notice the group and stood firm, having the shiny Cloyster look as well. "Hmm…Senator Sheer, would you mind telling me why these groups of Pokemon are being held against their will?" The shiny Cloyster says in a soft tone, leaning his head against the staff with sorrow drowning his face.

"I'll answer that, my king." Exo answers immediately, pointing his spear at Azure. "This Shellder stole a NeverMeltIce from the Freeze Store owner, and her mother tried to protect her." The Shellder goes to hide behind her mother, whimpering in fear. Norah comforts her as the egg holding Cloyster continues speaking. "And not only that, these...different looking Pokemon just came out of nowhere and tried to stop us."

"In fact, those Pokemon aren't even our species. Therefore, they're not supposed to be in this kingdom." Sheer says calmly, smiling at the shiny Cloyster. "Am I right, King Cocoon?"

Cocoon, the shiny Cloyster, nods in approval. "Why yes, you are. So I'll thin-" Cocoon is interrupted by Ashen and Lucas chuckling, eyeing at the two sternly.

"Cocoon. Haha! Some name that is, mate!" Lucas says, holding his stomach in laughter.

"Yeah." Ashen agrees, snickering.

"You two are already in enough trouble. You think laughing at my name will make things better?" Cocoon says, continuing his menacing glance. Ashen and Lucas gulp and remain silent. "Thought so. Now off to the dungeon you go until I decide on a suitable punishment for you." Cocoon sighs, looking off to the side.

Anna backs her face up a bit before opening her mouth. "Excuse me, King Cocoon. But we're not in the wrongs here." She says in a firm tone.

"I don't listen to outsiders." The Cloyster sighs once more.

"What!? But you have to listen to them, your highness!" Norah shouts her way through the conversation as sorrow forms across her face. "Those guys harassed me and my daughter over an extremely high price! It needs to be addressed! Please!"

Cocoon groans, continuing to look off to the side. He seems to be staring at a portrait of him being next to another Cloyster happily within an grassy area. "I don't talk to troublemakers either. Take them to the dungeon, guards." The shiny Cloyster says, his eyes narrowing at the picture. Sheer and the guards nod before forcing Iris and the others to head toward their right, going down a big hallway. Everyone restrain from their grasp, Norah pleading the king to listen to her as Cocoon continues to stare at the portrait. _You were the closest friend I've ever had, Senator Brisk...I just wish you were still alive, pal…_ Cocoon thinks before directing his attention to Exo. "Hmm?"

"Your highness, I found this Pokemon Egg with the group. What do you want to do with it?" Exo asks, showing the shiny Cloyster the egg. Cocoon takes a look at the egg before shrugging.

"I suppose just set it on my bed for the time being. I may have it cook for the royal feast I'll dine on later tonight."

Exo bows down at the king. "Yes, your majesty."

Anna flickers her ear, hearing what the king's said as she gasps in terror. "No! Not the egg! PLEASE DON'T EAT THE EGG!" She yells while being taking away.

"Shut it, Ninetales!" One of the guards says, pushing her forward in the hallway as Exo floats to his left. He seems to be heading to a stairway leading upstairs with the Pokemon Egg. Cerise is watching him, whimpering from the thought.

 _I hope we can find a way out of this kingdom as soon as possible._ Cerise thinks as he gulps quietly. _Egg eating and imprisonment are not my forte._ He then goes to follow the group while remaining hidden.

. . .

The group end up being in a mostly dark area of the castle, with little to no light being shown. Four prison cells are shown within the group's view, two being on the right while the other two on the left. The guards put the eleven Pokemon in their prison cells: Mark, Natalie, Claire and Jimmy are in the first cell. Lucas, Ashen, and Anna are in the second cell. And Iris and the other three are in the third cell. The inside of the cells look old and dusty, containing cylinder shaped bars and brick walls on the opposite side of the bars.

One of the guards closes the prison doors for all three of the cells and locks it. Anna snarls and tries to use Flamethrower on the bars but fire didn't come out of her mouth. She glances at Sheer, knowing that he's the one preventing it. "There's nothing you could do, prisoner. So stop trying to resist." Sheer says with a grin. "And even if I'm not around, these bars would take more than an Flamethrower attack to break you free."

"Ugh. How are you doing this, anyway? Preventing us from using our moves?" Anna asks. Sheer laughs humbly as the others look at him.

"Oh you silly, silly Ninetales. I don't tell my enemies my secrets. Nor prisoners." Sheer turns to look at two Cloyster guards beside him while Anna glares at him. "I'll be returning back to the king. You two guard the cells. Alright?"

The guards nod at him. "Yes sir." The two guards say, one standing firm while the other looks rather shaky. Sheer then smirks and floats off to the exit of the dungeon along with the other guards, minus the two that're remaining in the dungeon.

Iris sighs heavily while Lucas walks back and forth constantly. "Oh man, oh man. We're trapped on this land! Only to be imprisoned!" Lucas says in a worried tone. Anna pats the Furret on his back.

"Don't worry, Lucas. We'll find a way out of here." Anna says, trying to cheer him up.

Iris rolls her eyes. "Well, we would've found our way out of this land if it weren't for the dumbass that thought THROWING MY CALLER ACROSS THE OCEAN WAS A GOOD IDEA!"

Anna snarls. "Oh shut it. At least Lucas isn't a jerk like you."

The Dragonite grips the bars. "At least _I_ HAVE FLIPPING COMMON SENSE!" She yells.

"Whatever, Iris!" Anna rolls her eyes at the Dragonite.

"Can you two SHUT UP!?" The first Cloyster guard shouts, glaring at the Ninetales and Dragonite. The two Pokemon huff and look away. The second guard raises his brow at the two, giving them the 'What the heck?' treatment.

The rest of the crew converse with each other, trying to cheer each other up and hope things will be fine as Iris turns toward the three Pokemon she's with, sighing heavily. "Sorry about all that. We're just...not getting along right now. To put it simply, heh heh." Iris says, forming a bead of sweat by the side of her face while having her hand behind her head.

The old Cloyster blinks at the Dragonite. "I...see." The old Cloyster says, shrugging awkwardly.

"The name's Iris. My crewmates are Anna, Lucas, Ashen, Jimmy, Mark, Natalie and Claire. A...not-so pleasure to meet you."

"I see. The name is Brook and this is my daughter, Norah. And my granddaughter, Azure." Brook, the old Cloyster, nods his head slowly. "A pleasure to meet you, too...And sorry that you ended up in this situation as we have."

"Eh...We'll find a way out of it, eventually." Iris says, shrugging. Azure tilts her head slightly.

"How did you all end up in this kingdom, anyway?" Azure asks curiously. Brook and Norah become curious as well.

"Yeah...how?" Norah agrees.

"Probably the same way I ended up in this kingdom, too." A male voice says out of nowhere, joining in on the conversation. The gang stops conversing and looks at the voice's location.

"Huh? Who said that?" Mark says, blinking at the location of the voice. Iris and the three Pokemon look as well. Everyone is staring at the fourth cell, containing a Pokemon leaning against the wall on the ground. The Pokemon happens to be a Lucario, having his ears down and staring at the ground depressingly. Brook floats close to the cell next to his, showing a surprised look on his face.

"Another Pokemon that isn't the Shellder line in this kingdom?" Brook says confusedly. "...It has been awhile since I've seen a different species here, come to think of it…"

Norah thinks for a moment before staring at the Dragonite. "Again, how did you and your crew end up here?" Norah asks.

"Yes...The same goes for the Lucario, too." Brook agrees.

"Well you see, we were setting sail across the sea when all of the sudden, a huge wave came by and wiped away our ship…" Iris says, shrugging.

"Which led us to a shipwreck." Jimmy speaks, forming a sweatdrop while staring down at the ground. "We're trapped on this unknown land due to the wreck and we found a pathway leading us to Cloy Town and...got in this situation." The Heracross scratches the back of his head.

"I see." Brook says before taking his eyes on the Lucario. "And what about you, sir?"

The Lucario lifts his head up, leaning it against the wall. "Me? I just happened to be lost on this land, and found this kingdom after a long while of traveling." The Lucario says in a soft tone, sighing heavily. "I thought this place would be calm and serene after the journey I had. But I was wrong. The Cloyster guards immediately arrested me just because I look like a different Pokemon."

"I see…"

"Trent would be my name, if you were wondering." The Lucario, Trent, looks at Brook with his sorrowful red eyes. Brook stares back and looks down.

"Well Trent, Iris and the rest of you...I'm sorry that you all went through such a harsh time right now." Brook sighs. "I...I swear that the kingdom didn't used to be this way. Arresting Pokemon that don't look like our kind, and arresting those who oppose things that're rightfully wrong."

"Oh?" Anna says with curiosity floating in her head.

"Yes. Cocoon used to be a nice, caring king. Making good decisions that'll benefit not only Cloy Town but the town this castle is in: Ster Town."

"So what happened?" Iris asks, leaning against the wall.

"One day, Cocoon's childhood friend and senator, Senator Brisk, was assassinated during the king's Cloyster Ceremony speech." Norah says, looking to the side. "We don't know who assassinated him, but he at least saved the king's life during so." Norah begins to form tears from her eyes. "And because of that dreadful day...even to the senator's funeral, the king wasn't himself...and it...became apparent after he has a Cloyster named Sheer became the new senator to lead his guards." Norah whimpers, nudging her face against the wall. "Cocoon began to restrict different Pokemon from entering the kingdom for no reason, increases the pricing to become higher in Cloy Town in favor of benefitting Ster Town's marketing more instead of letting the pricing be balanced like before, and he punished those who opposed his decisions." Norah then begins to cry as Brook and Azure go to comfort her. Iris and the others stare at the Cloyster in sorrow.

"So this Brisk guy being dead is the reason why the king made the kingdom like this?" Iris asks. Norah slowly looks at her, nodding shakily.

"Y-Yes...I miss seeing my daughter play outside with her friends. Even those from Ster Town. And I miss chatting with my friends, without feeling like I've done something wrong." Norah sniffles, Azure nuzzling her as she nuzzles back.

"Cocoon is making rules to suit his own needs...not everyone else. Ster Town is benefited because it's the town that he was born in. That's the only reason, as far as I know." Brook says, shaking his head while closing his eyes.

Anna sighs heavily, shaking her head as well. "That's a shame. He shouldn't let the kingdom be unstable just because a close friend of his is dead. That's not right at all!" Anna exclaims, putting her paw down. "We have to do something about it!" Iris lifts her brow at the Ninetales across from her.

"We? Thought you didn't want to work alongside me anymore." Iris says, folding her arms.

"I'm sorry. Correction: Me, the crew, the Lucario and the Cloyster family _besides_ Iris will do something about it." Anna glares at the Dragonite. Trent blinks and looks at the Ninetales.

"Whoa now. I'm not involved in this. I just wanted to be free from this prison, that's all." Trent says, scratching the back of his head nervously.

Iris and Anna glare at the Lucario and say, "The only way out _IS_ to fix the issues here. So you're involved, regardless!". The second guard yelps from the two's banter as the two look and snarl at each other, leaving Norah, Azure, Brook and Trent to sweatdrop.

"Hey! WHAT DID I SAID!?" The first Cloyster guard yells again, gritting his teeth angrily at the two.

 _Talk about drama between the two, I must say…_ Trent thinks, raising his brow at them.

Later on, a bunch of Cloyster guards enter the dungeon area. Sheer is in front of the guards as he says, "Get out of your cells. The king would like to see you all.". The guards unlock the cell doors and force everyone to exit out of them, pushing them towards the exit and such. Trent groans from the pushing as he moves.

"I'm moving, I'm moving." The Lucario says, rolling his eyes. Sheer floats next to the Lucario, whispering something to him. Anna notices Sheer being near him, tilting her head curiously.

 _Hmm...odd._ The Ninetales thinks as she and the others exit out of the prison. Behind a decaying statue of a Cloyster wielding a spear lies Cerise poking his head out.

 _Huh. An unstable kingdom was formed because of a fallen friend, leading the king to become corrupted due to sorrow and grief, I assume. Poor fella._ Cerise thinks in his head, getting out of the hiding spot. He then follows the group. _I have to think of a good opportunity to save them. One way or another._

. . .

Everyone is at the center area of the castle again. Sheer and the guards bow their heads at the king before lifting them back up. Cerise is hiding within a vase, spying on everybody cautiously.

Sheer clears his throat before he speaks. "Your highness, tell these ruthless rulebreakers what you're planning to do to them." Sheer says calmly.

"Rulebreakers? Really? That's the best of a insult you could come up with?" Claire says, giggling at the Cloyster. Sheer glares at the Shinx before smirking.

"I got disgusting words to say about your kind, little Shinx. So it's best if you seal your yaps right there."

"Oh? Snarky much, I see?"

"You're no better. Talking back to adults like that, missy."

Claire grins deviously. "You'll _need_ an adult after I'm through with you, though."

Sheer blinks in surprise. "What in the-"

"Ahem!" Cocoon says, clearing his throat to interrupt the two. "After some considerations on your unnecessary actions for breaking the rules, especially those who aren't allowed in the kingdom, I'll have to...enslave you instead."

"ENSLAVE!?" The group all shout in confusion. Cerise raises his brow in response.

 _En-Enslavement!? What the heck!?_ The blob thinks to himself.

"Yes. Enslaving you all to doing work until you die or I become bored of your presence." Cocoon says, staring down at the group.

"Whoa whoa whoa. You can't just enslave us over a _NeverMeltIce_!" Natalie shouts, frowning at the shiny Cloyster.

"Yeah!" Mark joins in, agreeing with the Zorua as he forms a fist.

"It's either that or execution." Cocoon says, leading the crew to gasp at what they're witnessing.

Norah tears up, gritting her teeth into frustration. "But your highness, acknowledge the bad decision you're making right now! Don't let your beloved lost friend turn you into someone you're not!" Norah yells, sour liquid streaming down from her eyes rapidly.

Cocoon sighs, looking off to the side. "I don't want to hear it, troublemaker. Now guards, take the outsiders to do outside work."

Sheer bows his head. "Yes, your majesty." The large barbed Cloyster glances at the guards holding the group hostage. "You heard the king." The guards nod, taking Iris and the crew outside along with Trent. The crew struggles against the forceful grasp by the guards as Cerise secretly follows them.

Cocoon looks down at Norah and the other two Pokemon sternly. "As for you three, you'll do heavy duty work inside of my castle. Understood?"

"I-I…ugh..." Norah says, looking down before the guards inside get beside them. _Oh dear Arceus, I...I wish for this madness...to end..._

 _End of Chapter 14._


	16. Chapter 15

**Author's note: Greetings, everyone! Just wanting to let you all know that a new chapter is out and apart. So feel free to give it a read and as always, don't be afraid to let me know what you think about it and how I can improve on this fanfic if any. Without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Enslavement.**

 _Cloyster Kingdom Arc._

The crew are dragged outside of the castle by the Cloyster guards, being taken to an upper left pathway that leads out of Ster Town. The pathway is linear with some black fences being beside the road. Ahead of the group, there is a gate being guarded by two Cloysters. Sheer floats toward the Cloysters and speaks to them.

"Open the gate. We have new competitors to join in on the hunt." Sheer says firmly.

"Competitors?" Iris and Anna say, looking at each other with raised eyebrows. The Cloysters nod and open the gate door, moving out of the way for the group to enter.

The gang all see that they're entering inside of a forest; The forest containing a wide open area that has a bunch of Cloysters roaming around it within a fast pace. Guards are commanding those Cloysters to search here or there, wielding whips to get their demands in order. The crew sees some guards whipping the Cloysters and winces at the sight. Even Cerise, who is camouflaging within the grass, squints his eyes and flinches.

 _Jeez, talk about crucial demands._ Cerise thinks, shaking his head at the activity going on. The group stop within their tracks as Sheer turns to look at them.

"Alright, you troublemakers. This is what you'll do for the rest of your life: Scavenger hunting." Sheer says, eyeing at the crew.

"Scavenger hunting?" Anna says, blinking while tilting her head slightly. "On what exactly?"

Sheer chuckles softly. "Glad that you asked: You're hunting for rare and unique items."

"You mean like...Marvel Mischief?" Iris asks.

"Marvel Mischiefs, Mega Stones, gold, you name them all." Sheer says with a wink.

"MEGA STONES!?" The gang shouts, Sheer flinches from the sudden outburst.

"Oh will you tone your voices down with that outburst? You scared me half to death by just doing that nonsense!" Sheer glances.

"I mean, you're having us search for extremely rare stones that give specific Pokemon a new form and power. Plus, we're searching for Marvel Mischiefs, too! How are we supposed to act towards that then?" Jimmy says with a firm look on his face.

"So?"

Iris gives Sheer a appalled expression. "So!? Those are items that are close to _impossible_ to find!"

"And? My grandfather had me finding rare and unique items like Marvel Mischiefs all the time when I was a young, naive Shellder." Sheer closes his eyes with a confident smile.

"So your grandfather had you collecting Marvel Mischiefs?" Iris asks sternly.

"Yes." The large barbed Cloyster looks at the Dragonite dead in the eyes. "And had me burn them."

"BURN!?" Iris, Anna and Jimmy shout. Their eyes twitch into nonsensical mayhem.

"Are you out of your mind!? WHY WOULD YOU BURN THEM!? MARVEL MISCHIEF ARE MEANT TO BE CHERISHABLE GIFTS, NOT SOMETHING TO BURN!" Iris grips her fist as Mark, Claire and Natalie look at her.

Sheer laughs. "Gifts? Cherishable? Ha. My grandfather is laughing in his grave right now. Because he sees nothing but a hunk of useless toys from those things. Thinking they're there for styling purposes and nothing more. Can't help but to agree with him on that."

"Then what about Weapon Mischief, huh!?" Anna asks, gritting her teeth furiously. Sheer pulls out an brown bow from behind him.

"You mean this?" Sheer says, staring deviously.

Mark blinks and stares at the bow for a moment. "Wait, isn't that…" The Riolu says before going to stroke his back. He feels nothing but his back and frowns at the Cloyster. "Hey! How did you get my bow!?"

"Oh I just happened to notice it while we were on our way here. So I took it." Sheer laughs. "Along with the bag the Dragonite carried as well…" The Cloyster reveals the bag within his position as well.

Iris snarls. "Hey! Give me back my bag!" The Dragonite shouts, glaring at Sheer.

Sheer shakes his head. "Nah. I think I'll keep these with me for the time being." Sheer then stares at the Ninetales. "And to answer your question earlier: Weapon Mischief aren't special, either. They're not even rare! Anyone can buy a Weapon Mischief at their local weapon store!"

Sheer continues laughing as Mark pouts and Iris grows ever more furious. "I can't believe what I'm hearing right now!" The Dragonite says, beginning to lash out at the Cloyster with flames forming around her fist. Sheer looks at her just in time to stop her Fire Punch from hitting him, his eyes glowing blue as the flames disappears. Iris stops and grits her teeth. "Dammit!"

The guards goes to grab the Dragonite from Sheer, restraining her. "So like I was saying, you'll be doing this hunt till the end of the day. Then do it again the very next. And so on and so forth."

"And we get no breaks either?" Claire says, tilting her head gradually. Sheer takes his eyes on the Shinx, shaking his head.

"Oh how silly of me to not mention that...Yes, you do take breaks. But only when you find those rare items, first."

"Okay." Claire looks at the gang. "I can see this hunt being pretty simple to do." As Claire says that, an Cloyster approaches Sheer with an small, yellow shell in his possession. The Cloyster looks rather dirty, having dirt and scratch marks all over his blue shell.

"H-Hey s-sir. I f-found a golden shell for y-you." The Cloyster says, handing the shell to Sheer. Sheer takes the shell, examining it for a moment before handing it to one of the guards that has a bag with them. The guard puts the shell in his bag as Sheer looks back at the Cloyster. "D-Do I get to take a b-break now?" The Cloyster asks eagerly.

Sheer sighs. "I suppose so."

"Yes! Haha!" The Cloyster is about to go roam off until Sheer gets in front of him.

"Alright. Your break time is over. Back to work."

The gang gasps shockingly as the Cloyser looks at Sheer confusedly. "Wh-What? B-But I've been searching for over _15 hours_!"

"15 hours? That's a world record compared to other scavengers!" Sheer laughs while the gang look at him, raising their brows.

"B-But sir-"

One of the guards pushes the Cloyster to the ground, causing him to yelp. "GET BACK TO WORK, PEASANT!" The guard yells, the Cloyster's eyes widening in fear before he scurries off in a fast pace. Natalie looks at Sheer and snarls.

"Hey! I thought you said we'll take breaks after finding those rare items!" The Zorua says, stomping her paw down in a angry manner.

Sheer chuckles softly. "Of course you do. _For one second_." The large barbed Cloyster says calmly.

"ONE SECOND!?" Iris forms a fist, her eye beginning to twitch. "How's that a break!?"

"Hey. It's a break when it _counts_ , right?" Sheer winks, causing the Dragonite to become infuriated.

"Why I outta-" Iris starts yapping random insults and slurs at Sheer, trying to move towards him but remaining restrained by the guards. Sheer sighs in relief.

"I think we have our understanding of the interpretation on inquisition scrutiny."

The crew looks at him for a moment, tilting their heads. "What?" They say confusedly.

"That means go hunting. Now start." Sheer says before the guards send the crew to the field. The crew all look at each other, anxiety forming across their faces before they dash off to the exit. Five guards get in front of them, blocking their exit with their spears. The gang tries to use their moves on the guards but their attacks fade, resulting to them being tackle down and restrain by the other five guards. Sheer floats towards them, shaking his head. "Just stop trying already. You're embarrassing yourselves." He laughs humbly before the guards pushes the gang back to the field. The crew brushes themselves off before glaring at the large barbed Cloyster.

Anna grits her teeth. "We gotta find a way out of here...or else, we'll be trapped in this enslavement hunt until we die." The Ninetales says in a worried tone. Ashen and Lucas nod.

"Agree, mate! Just the very thought of doing slave work is just...ugh…" Lucas gasps before passing out to the ground. Ashen grabs him in time.

"Whoa!" The Linoone says, picking the eye-patch Furret up. Lucas lifts his paw up and down towards his face, fanning himself.

"I blame Iris for getting us in this mess." Lucas sighs heavily, putting his other paw against his forehead in a dramatic gesture.

Iris looks at him and rolls her eyes. "Yeah, whatever." The Dragonite says. As the crew walks throughout the field while being followed by five guards, Iris turns around to see Sheer whispering something to Trent before sending him off as well. "Hmm?" The Lucario nods and follows the crew. Iris heads towards him in curiosity. "Hey, what did that Sheer fella whisper to you?" She asks the Lucario, looking down at him.

Trent looks at Iris. "Oh. He just told me to search for Mega Stones specifically. Not sure why." He says, shrugging awkwardly.

"Hmm…" Iris thinks to herself for a moment before she catches up with the crew. Trent just follows along casually.

. . .

Meanwhile at the castle, Norah, Azure and Brook are inside of a huge dining room. The table is about 8 feet long and 6 feet wide, luxurious decoration are on the walls and mini-tables being in the room's corners, and the room itself is brown. It seems as though the three Pokemon has been cleaning the dining room: Norah is wiping the white floors, Azure is shining the decorations, and Brook is rubbing the walls. All with a simple cloth.

In the room with them are Mat and another Cloyster guard socializing with each other. The guard is through chatting with Mat, forming a rather uncomfortable expression on his face. "S-So yeah, uh, watch over these three while I go use the restroom, o-okay?" The guard says to Mat, biting his own lips. Mat raises his brow at him before chuckling.

"Sure I will, pal!" Mat says in a calm yet bold tone.

The Cloyster nods eagerly. "Th-Thanks, Mat!" He then dashes off to the exit, whining throughout the way. "M-Man, I shouldn't have eaten those Icy Supremes for lunch!"

Mat looks at him exiting out of the room, sweatdropping awkwardly. He then directs his eyes towards Norah and floats to her. "Norah!"

The female Cloyster yelps softly and looks at Mat, glancing at him. "Mind keeping your voice down so that the guards won't catch you talking to me?" She says angrily.

"O-Oh, uh, sorry about that. Heh heh." Mat chuckles nervously before Brook stops what he's doing and turns around.

"N-Norah? Are you al-alright?" The old Cloyster asks cautiously.

Norah sticks her head out from the table, allowing Brook to see her. "I'm fine, father. Thanks for your concern." She then notices her daughter is staring at her concernedly. She gives her a warm smile, letting her know that things are fine before the little Shellder nods cutely and returns to her cleaning. Norah looks back at Mat, giving him a stern expression. "Anyway...What do you want?"

Mat stares back at the female Cloyster before shrugging nervously. "I…" He looks down and sighs. "Just wanted to say that I'm sorry that you ended up being arrested."

"And you didn't do anything about it?" Norah glances at Mat.

Mat sweatdrops and whimpers. "I-I mean, if I did, I'll be joining along with you in the dungeon...Heck, even be executed for trying to protect you guys."

Norah continues glaring at the Cloyster before sighing in a depressing manner. "For a best friend that knows how to find ways to fix issues, you sure can't find any for this one."

Mat looks to the side sorrowfully. "I _wish_ to fix this issue, Norah. Honestly." He groans, closing his eyes into grimace. "But I've been striving to get in this position as a royal guard since I was 15. The endless amounts of hard training, the trials and errors. Everything I'd been through to get in this position." He shakes his head. "Again, if I dare to do something now, they'll take away my position and have me executed...It's not me being selfish, Norah. It's me trying to prevent my life from being taken away."

"He's right, you know…" Brook says, having Norah and Mat looking at him as he continues scrubbing the wall. "If I were in his place, I too wouldn't try to save my loved ones while other guards are out in the open."

Mat looks at Norah. "See?" He says to her confidently. "But...I'll do everything in my power to solve this issue. So that you all can be free…"

The elder Cloyster turns slightly to look at Mat, staring at him sternly. "Would you do that, Mat?"

Mat stares back and nods firmly. "Of course I would, sir!" He then takes his eyes back on Norah, staring directly into hers. "I'll talk with the king and persuade him to release you, your father and your daughter from prison."

Norah blinks and smiles slightly at the Cloyster. "I suppose I can thank you for at least trying to fix the situation...but…" Norah pauses, shrugging awkwardly.

"But what?" Mat tilts his head curiously.

"What about Iris and her friends?"

Mat raises his brow. "Iris and who again?"

Norah sweatdrops. "Oh...I guess you don't know them then. Um...they're the Pokemon that were with us during the arrest."

Mat thinks for a moment before gasping. "Oooh! You mean the Dragonite?"

Norah nods. "Yes. Do you think you can convince the king to release them as well?"

Mat blinks before shrugging awkwardly. "Yeaaah...you see, the problem is: 1) I don't know them at all besides one of their names and 2) They're not our kind."

Norah frowns, puffing her lips. "So?"

"S-So!? Norah, how can I convince someone to spare another if I don't know that person? It's like me having a choice between saving my love one or saving some stranger and I choose the stranger."

Norah sighs. "I know but...Iris and her friends seem like harmless Pokemon. And they're having a bad time right now. With their ship being crashed, ending up stranded in this kingdom, and now they're prisoners of this kingdom. Heck, another Pokemon that isn't our kind, named Trent, is having a harsh time as well. He's a prisoner here, just like Iris and her pals." She then stares into Mat's eyes with sorrow drenching within them. "Please...do it for me."

"But-"

"Please, Mat...They need help. Just like we do."

Mat looks to the side for a moment before sighing heavily, staring back at the female Cloyster. "Alright...I'll try to convince the king to free them as well. Despite not knowing much about them."

Norah smiles and nuzzles Mat. "Thanks, Mat."

Mat nuzzles back and smiles brightly. "No problem, heh heh." He then inhales and exhales, breathing calmly. "Man, this reminds me of the time I had to convince your father that I didn't bully you when we were young, ya know?"

Norah giggles softly. "Yeah. It was rather funny, now thinking about it."

Brook stops scrubbing and chuckles softly. "Well, him and that Shellder looked believable to have messed with you, Norah." He says, turning around to reveal his wrinkling smile.

Mat raises his brow and smirks. "I mean, me and that dude may share the same personality but I could never harm your daughter, sir. She's as delicate as the ice flowers in the Zero Cave." Mat replies, blushing gently from what he said. Norah notices the blush and giggles some more. "And besides, you're so protective for your daughter that it scared me till midnight!"

Brook laughs from the compliment. "I see. And indeed, she is delicate. That's why I'd been so protective towards her. Especially when her mother had passed away..."

Mat and Norah become quiet from what Brook said and nod. "I understood that completely, sir…" Mat says firmly.

Norah sighs in relief. "Anyway, thanks you two for caring so much about me." She says.

Mat looks at her and smiles. "No problem...And by the way, you have such beautiful eyes."

Norah blinks and blushes, looking off to the side with a warm smile. "Oh silly you...All Cloysters have the same eyes, you know?"

"I mean, I know that but something about yours seems more amazing to stare at...Such as yourself."

Norah looks at Mat and has her eyes contact with his, the two blushing deeply. They feel a connection between each other. The type of connection that links their hearts together. A connection that's as bound as chocolate mixed with vanilla. Soon, Exo enters the dining room abruptly.

"What's going on here!?" Exo shouts, staring at the four. Brook resumes back to scrubbing the wall as Exo continues speaking. "I hear a bunch of talking coming from here specifically." Exo then glances at Mat.

Mat looks back and sweatdrops. "Uh. I was yelling at this prisoner. Making sure she's doing as she told." Mat says quickly, poking Norah harshly with his black spear. Norah whimpers from the poke, resulting to her wiping the floors immediately. Brook winces, a grim look forming across his face as he hear his daughter whine. "Yes! You better continue cleaning, peasant!" He says in a somewhat nervous tone. _I'm so, so sorry for this, Norah!_

Exo stares at him then at Norah and now back to him, thinking thoughtfully to himself. "Hmm...alright then. I see that you got things under control." He lifts his body up firmly and sighs. "Now excuse me while I go and chat with some ladies in Ster Town." He floats off to the exit in an elegant manner. "I'm willing to bet those lovely ladies will join me in the king's feast tonight." He laughs humbly. "Ohoho!"

Mat sees him go and chuckles softly. "Yeah right. I'm willing to bet the ladies will join in a Onix's party rather than to join a feast with you."

Exo stops and turns around immediately. "What was that!?"

"I mean, get back to cleaning, you!" Mat yells at Norah, poking her with his spear again.

Exo glances at them for a moment. "Hmph." He then floats out of the dining room, no longer to be seen. Mat sighs in relief and looks at the female Cloyster.

"Sorry for poking you too hard…"

"It's okay...You did what you had to do." Norah says, smiling at Mat. Mat smiles back softly before floating next to the exit of the dining room. He then sees the Cloyster guard from earlier returning back to the dining room, panting nonstop.

"Phew. That...was quite the bomb I had to take." The guard says, chuckling softly to himself. "You know them Icy Supremes. They taste so good, but have your body feel some type of way later on, and then it's off to the restroom!"

Mat laughs awkwardly at the guard, forming a bead of sweat by the side of his face. "Right…" Mat says, shrugging. The guard then looks at him, curiosity forming on his face.

"By the way, did I miss anything while I was gone?"

Mat shakes his head. "Nah, you're good."

"Sweet!"

The two Cloysters then guard the exit of the dining room as the other three Pokemon continue their cleaning duty.

. . .

Returning to the outside of the castle, the crew seems to be struggling on maintaining their energy and finding rare, unique items in the forest. They all pant heavily, Lucas and Ashen barely able to move forward.

The guards behind the group yell at them. "Hey! Get to hunting, you slugs!" One of the guards shouts, wielding out his brown whip and hitting Ashen with it. Ashen yelps and rushes next to Anna, Lucas following along in fear.

"C-Crud, that hurts!" Ashen whimpers, rubbing his back. Anna growls deeply at the group of guards as she and the others continue walking. Lucas looks at the Linoone worriedly.

"Are you alright, bro?" Lucas asks, concerned about his brother's back.

"E-Erm, in a bit of pain because of that whip b-but I sh-should be fine." Ashen groans, continuing to rub his back. Natalie and Mark look around the area and see other guards treating other prisoners the same way. The two Pokemon then frown at the sight.

"Jeez, do they have to be so rough on us!?" Natalie says in a upsetting manner.

"Yeah! Th-This is just out of control and abusive." Mark agrees. "And on top of that... _We're still walking!_ "

Anna smacks her lips into frustration. "Hold up." The Ninetales says before facing towards the guards. "Hey sirs, I think we found a spot that may have a chance of containing rare items. Can we search there?"

The guards look at each other for a moment before one of them nods. "Sure. But don't take too long in that spot. Got it?" One of them says firmly.

Anna nods with a bland expression. "Got it."

"We'll be watching you. In case you try anything funny."

Anna turns around and mumbles. "As if any of this _is_ funny."

The guard glances at Anna. "What was that?"

"I said we're going to the spot right now." Anna sticks her tongue out playfully before Natalie snickers at her stunt. The guards watch them walk toward a corner containing a bunch of trees and bushes surrounding it. The gang stops and sighs in relief. "Alright. We should be good to rest here, for now."

Natalie looks at the Ninetales. "But we're being watched." The Zorua confirms, slightly looking at the guards behind her.

Claire stares at the ground and seeks her claws into it, digging it. "We just pretend that we're searching." Claire says, grinning.

Natalie blinks at Claire before gasping. "Oooh! I should've thought of that!" She giggles before digging herself. Ashen and Lucas look at each other for a moment before they shrug and claw at the ground. Anna joins along the digging spree as well. And the others decide to search through the bushes, Jimmy being the only one remaining still and grits his teeth.

"Those poor, poor prisoners…" The Heracross says, gripping his fist. "They're being treated so poorly. So abused." Jimmy groans, shaking his head. "I cannot allow such brutal action!"

Claire blinks and looks at the tired, harassed Cloysters from the bushes. "Well, I admire the way they handle their prisoners. So aggressive and tyrannical, I'd say." Claire giggles at the sight. Natalie and the others stop what they're doing and stare at the Shinx, raising their brow at her.

"Okay. The heck, Claire?" Natalie says shockingly. Claire shrugs.

"I mean, of course that's bad and we need to do something about it." Claire chuckles nervously, scratching the back of her head with her paw.

Natalie blinks at her before sighing. "You're strange, Claire. Not gonna lie."

"Well you'd understand me if you regain your memories...mistress…" Claire smiles at her calmly. Her yellow eyes seem to be soulless to the Zorua, sending her chills down her spine.

"U-Uh, sure. And don't look at me like that!" Natalie frowns as Claire snickers softly. Iris stares at the Shinx for a moment, thinking deeply while the others resume to their search. Natalie then looks at Anna. "By the way Anna, you didn't quite elaborate on what your Mythical Power does…"

Anna blinks, continuing digging softly and looks at the Zorua. "I didn't?" The Ninetales says, tilting her head confusedly.

"No you didn't. All you did was ramble about you being corrupted or something and Iris had to stop you…" Natalie shrugs.

"Oh. Well, apologies for that, Natalie...Went sidetracked on my...terrible past there for a moment." Anna looks down and sighs.

Natalie smiles warmly. "It's fine."

Anna looks back at her and smiles softly. "Thanks...So about my Mythical Power…" Anna takes a deep breath for a moment then exhales. "It allows me to survive a fatal blow from my opponent and powers up my moves…hence me surviving the stab from Fumeiyo's Weapon Mischief a few days ago."

"I see. Guess that explains the bandages around your stomach…" Natalie shrugs as Anna nods at her. "So can you even survive being crushed, too?"

Anna shakes her head immediately. "Oh nooo. I can't. I can only survive certain blows such as being stabbed in the chest, falling from the sky, and even being shot by multiple bullets." Anna shrugs awkwardly. "Although, that doesn't mean I don't feel pain from them because...jeez, does the pain hurt so much. To the point where I WISH I was dead from feeling that much pain." The Ninetales whimpers, forming a grim expression from the thought.

Natalie winces from the thought as well. "Yikes. Sounds like it is painful to bare with."

Anna nods. "Yes...And to make matters worse, my Mythical Power also allows me to heal the injuries I receive but it takes awhile to heal. And I mean, _awhile_. There was a time where I was thrown off of a tall cliff and landed onto the ground harshly. I remain there for a solid 16 hours before being able to crawl my way out of the spot _while I was still healing myself_."

Natalie blinks in surprise. "Oh jeez. And when did that happen?"

Anna looks to the side. "When I was a young Vulpix…" The Ninetales sighs. "My parents led me to the cliff. I thought it was something special they wanted to show me. But instead, they pushed me off of the cliff...leading me into a forest that was constantly on fire for some reason." Anna then looks at the sky. "I didn't understand why they would do such a thing to their daughter. It...left me so confused as I tried to find them. But after finding a cave to stay in, I'd come to a realization that they no longer cared about me anymore. Heck, even those that visited the cave were scared by my appearance and how I tend to terrified them with my furious brown eyes…" Natalie lowers her ears while Anna stares at the sun. "I was referred to as the 'Corrupted Vulpix', with the cave being my only home that no one dared to enter…"

"I-I see...Sorry that you'd went through such a harsh past, Anna."

Anna sighs depressingly, looking back at the ground. "Yeah. I'd rather not remember that past again. Though, I still see myself as corrupted because of it…"

Natalie pouts. "Well, you're not corrupted to me!" Anna blinks and looks at the Zorua. "You're a good person, Anna. Always willing to protect your friends and stick by their side no matter what!" The Zorua smiles at her cutely.

The Ninetales smiles back. "Thanks...Though, I'm debating on that for a certain someone but...we'll see about that in time."

Natalie nods before she and Anna resume their digging. While they continue the search, Iris takes her eyes on the Lucario.

"So why were you lost exactly?" The Dragonite asks curiously. Trent looks at her calmly and sighs.

"Well...I was in search for someone named Saya. She's a Lucario just like me, and my girlfriend that I adore being with so much." Trent looks at the sky calmly. "With her serene singing, the astounding performance she did on her show."

"A show, huh?"

"Yes." Trent smiles warmly. "She did an excellent job in it, too. And even an amazing job as my lovely girlfriend. Being there for me when I needed it the most, telling me that everything is going to be fine. And most importantly, seeing me as her knight in shining armor."

"D'aww, how sweet." Iris puts her arms against her chest.

"...But then one day…" The Lucario looks down. "We got separated by natural disaster. A hurricane, to be exact...Which led me to be in the forest I mentioned before." He grips his fist, tearing up a bit. "I became so terrified that she was no longer with me, and I began my search for her. After awhile, I encountered this kingdom and asked numerous of citizens if they'd seen her before being captured and ended up...here."

Iris blinks at Trent and sighs heavily. "I see. Sorry that you got separated from your love…" Trent looks at Iris calmly.

"I know...but maybe someday, I'll get out of this imprisonment and find her. Hopefully, Saya is still alive out there…" Trent sighs, nodding confidently.

Iris smiles gently at him. "I see...I hope that you do find her too, Trent."

Trent smiles warmly. "Thanks."

Iris nods. "You're welcome."

Soon, the group hear someone whimpering behind them. They turn to see a male Cloyster on the ground, tearing up as he looks at the guards.

"Please I'm begging you, let me take a break! At least a 1 minute break! I've been searching for so long, and haven't encountered even a single rare item yet!" The male Cloyster cries.

The first guard next to him glares. "Then keep searching. You'll find something, eventually." The first guard says firmly.

"But I can't continue under this dreadful heat condition any longer. It's killing me, for crying out loud!" The Cloyster continues to plead, grasping onto the guard. "Just give me a break, please!"

"No! Now get off of me, you filth!" The first guard angrily pushes the Cloyster off from him and whacks him with his spear, causing the poor Pokemon to wince from the attack.

Jimmy glances at the situation, gripping his fist and shouts, "Alright! I can't sit around and watch this any longer!".

Trent looks at Jimmy, sweatdropping awkwardly. "Uh, I don't think that's a good i-" The Heracross then rushes towards the guard as Trent is interrupted by him. "...dea…"

"Wait Jimmy, hold up!" Iris yells, seeing the heroic Heracross dash off. Jimmy tackles the guard down and starts jabbing him.

"What the!?" The first guard yelps from the many attacks he's receiving from the Heracross, having his shell beginning to break from the massive jabs. "SOMEONE, HELP! GET THIS CRAZED HERACROSS OFF FROM ME!" The guard yells, trying to push Jimmy off from him.

The harmless Cloyster stares at the Heracross in amazement. "H-Holy smokes…" He says, speechless at the brave Heracross thrashing the guard nonstop. Jimmy winds up one last punch and begins to throw it towards the helpless guard. However, he is stopped by the other Cloyster guards grabbing hold of him, forcing the Heracross off from the guard, and holding him down.

"Gah! Unhand me, you heartless shells!" Jimmy yells, struggling to get out of their grasp. Sheer appears at the scene, raising his brow.

"Well call me Sheer Cold when there's an hailstorm, what on Solark is going on here?" The large barbed Cloyster says, glancing at the Heracross. The pierced shell Cloyster slowly gets up, shaking in fear.

"Th-That Heracross needs to go, sir! H-He tackled me down and broke my shell while I was telling this goofball to get back to work!" The first guard says shakingly, pointing his spear at the harmless Cloyster.

Sheer looks at the guard and grimaces at his appearance. "Oh dear Arceus, that's brutal!" He then looks at the other guards. "One of you, take this gentleman to the medic room in the castle at once!" One of the guards nods and aids the pierced shell Cloyster. "As for the rest of you guards, take the Heracross and the Cloyster to a special dungeon."

"Yes sir." The guards say, grabbing Jimmy and the harmless Cloyster.

"Wh-What!? M-Me!?" The Cloyster says. "B-But I only asked for a simple break! I-I don't want to go to the special dungeon!" The Cloyster looks at the guards, whimpering in discomfort. "Please don't take me to the special dungeon!"

The guards ignore the Cloyster as they take the two away. Jimmy is restrained from the grasp, gritting his teeth into frustration. "Let me go right now! I don't deserve this! NO ONE HERE DOES!"

The crew all gasp as they see their friend being taken away. "J-Jimmy!" Mark and Natalie both yell, worried for the Heracross. Anna takes her eyes on Sheer, seeing him forming a smirk before she snarls at him.

"Hey!" The Ninetales shouts, grabbing Sheer's attention. "Where are they taking those two!?"

Sheer smiles at the Ninetales. "Glad that you asked, prisoner: They're being executed tomorrow."

"EXECUTED!?" The crew yells shockingly, horror forming within their eyes.

"Yes. I'll be sure to notify the king about their misbehaviors." Sheer then sighs in relief. "Anywho, back to hunting you maniacs go. I need me some Icy Supremes after witnessing that fiasco."

The large barbed Cloyster notifies more guards to watch the group for him while he's gone. As those six guards watch them, Natalie begins to tear up, seeing Sheer following the other five guards. "J-Jimmy saved me and Mark from those evil Malamars." She says, sniffling.

"A-And now he's about to get killed tomorrow." Mark follows along, tearing up as well. The two hug each other while weeping in sorrow. The rest of the group all stare at the two worriedly before Ashen and Lucas look at Anna.

"Wh-What should we do about this, mate!?" Lucas asks, his eyes widening in fear.

"I-I'm seriously worried about Jimmy right now." Ashen says, anxiety spreading throughout his body.

Anna remains still, stun beyond belief before shaking her head slowly. "I...I don't know." Anna says, gritting her teeth.

"Wh-What do you mean you don't know!?" Ashen and Lucas both yell at her. Anna winces from the yelling, closing her eyes due to frustration.

"I just…don't..." Anna becomes speechless and looks at Iris, seeing her being in the same state of pure anxiety as everyone else. Besides Claire and Trent, who are just shocked from what they're witnessing.

Lucas whimpers. "M-Maybe I could stopped them with my Mythical Power!" He says shakingly. Ashen pats him on the back.

"No, bro...You can't control yours, yet. It's too risky to even try it." Ashen replies.

"Ooh…" Lucas looks down, his ears following along. Iris glances at Jimmy being further away from her view.

 _We definitely need to get the hell out of here!_ Iris thinks while feeling frustrated by the situation. Within the bushes far from the gang, lies Cerise. His eyes widen from what he heard as well.

 _So we went from harsh demands to execution on one of my buds!_ Cerise thinks, sighing to himself. _This journey gets crazier and crazier for me...Time to go save him then!_ Cerise then slithers off from one bush to another, staying hidden as he does so. _I'm sorry everyone. But I'll mainly be focusing on saving Jimmy for the time being. I hope for you all to stay safe!_

 _End of Chapter 15._


	17. Chapter 16

_**Author's note: Just a heads up, if new chapters doesn't get released on the first week of Friday or Saturday like that normally do, chances are that I may be busy during those times due to school and other things in my life. I'll still try to release them monthly on any Fridays or Saturdays, nonetheless. Just be aware that I may slip up on my schedule due to things happening in my life. Anyway, enjoy the latest new MM chapter! And be sure to tell me what you think about the fanfic so far in the reviews. Your criticism and feedbacks can help me improve on what is needed to be fix within this story a lot!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 16: SAVE JIMMY!**

 _Cloyster Kingdom Arc_.

Darkness begins to rise in the sky with stars shining down at Ster Town, providing light for the citizens to see. However, there's even more light coming from the castle itself. And inside of it, lies a bunch of Cloyster guards taking the crew and Trent to the dungeon hallway. The gang notices a bunch of other Cloysters roaming inside of the castle and chatting with each other, seeing them head into another hallway.

"I bet they're having a good time while we're suffering like crazy." Iris mumbles to herself, stopping in her tracks as she looks at the civilians. She's then pushed by a guard behind her.

"Did I tell you to stop, prisoner? Keep walking!" The guard demands in a firm tone. Iris snarls deeply before continuing to walk.

. . .

Somewhere within the castle, lies another prison. The prison is mostly dark but has one cell instead of four. Two guards are guarding next to the cell, having their spears within their possession. One is standing firmly while the other is sleeping quietly, having his eyes closed. Inside of the cell are Jimmy and the male Cloyster. Jimmy have his forehead against the wall while the Cloyster floats back and forth quickly.

"Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh...DEAR!" The Cloyster shouts, stopping in his place. "I-I'm about to be executed tomorrow! I'm not ready to die yet!" He whimpers.

The Heracross grits his teeth, gripping his fist. "Same here…" Jimmy says angrily. "I'm supposed to be honored for saving others, not be executed for it." He then takes his eyes on the Cloyster, showing nothing but pure rage. "Norah and her father was right: This kingdom is undeniably corrupted!"

The Cloyster nods. "Tell me about it. I mean, I used to run a business shop here in Ster Town. I sold things such as Weapon Mischiefs, old toys I used to have, and much more. But when other shops were selling much higher than mine, the king wanted me to get rid of my shop."

Jimmy tilts his head curiously. "And what did you do?"

"I refused his order and...ended up being prisoner here afterwards." The Cloyster sighs. "It was my only business shop that I built all by my lonesome...only to get taken down because the king said so."

Jimmy pats the Cloyster on his back. "Sorry that your shop got taken down, sir."

"I know...Jeez, was the king always like this? Forcing shops like mine to be taken down if they're not selling well?"

Jimmy shrugs. "Well, I'm not sure about answering that. But from hearing one of the prisoners here, he didn't used to have his kingdom be corrupted. In fact, he was making better decisions than the ones he's making now."

"I see. Then what caused him to be this way?" The Cloyster asks curiously.

"As far as I know, they told me it was because of a close friend of his named Senator Brisk being assassinated at the Cloyster Ceremony."

"Ah, I see. I wasn't aware of any of those news due to me not paying attention to most of the things going on in Ster Town." The Cloyster shrugs and sweatdrops. "That's what I get for not being aware of my surroundings, heh…"

"Yeah...Try to do that next time." Jimmy sweatdrops as well.

The Cloyster nods. "Will do…" He then huffs angrily. "Anyway, just because a close friend of his is dead, doesn't mean he has the right to be this way. Especially towards those that want to create their own business shop!"

"Agreed." Jimmy holds out his hand. "The name's Jimmy, by the way."

The Cloyster looks at the Heracross' nail before turning to his side and leaning his spike forward. "Zeke would be mine. Nice to meet you, Jimmy." The two shake each other's parts. "When you were beating up the guard earlier, I was stunned. So amazed by your courageous action and bold choice to save me."

Jimmy blinks from the compliment and chuckles. "Thanks...I used to rescue others from any kinds of harm all the time back then. But…" Jimmy looks to the side, sorrow forming in his face. "Seeing as how those folks only appreciated me for taking care of their deeds and nothing more, it makes me feel like that any heroic thing I do...doesn't matter." He then sighs heavily. "And I'm receiving that feeling after being sent to execution. Just for saving you."

Zeke stares at Jimmy, looking rather down and patting him on the back. "Hey now. Don't let this situation make you think that you're meaningless. You're willing to risk your life to save another. That's you not being selfish. And I respect that within a Pokemon."

Jimmy looks at Zeke. "Really?"

The Cloyster nods meekly. "Absolutely. I thank you a lot for protecting me from that guard earlier. And I'm pretty sure that you have friends thanking you for saving their lives, too."

Jimmy slowly smiles at Zeke. "Yeah...you're right." The Heracross stands heroically. "Thanks for cheering me up, fellow citizen!"

Zeke laughs softly at Jimmy's heroic stance. "No problem, Jimmy."

Jimmy then scratches the side of his head. "However, the question is: How can we get out of this execution? Hmm…" Jimmy thinks to himself for a moment, having his nail against his chin.

"Psst, Jimmy!" A male voice says in a soft tone. Jimmy blinks, beginning to recognize the voice.

"Huh? Is that…" Jimmy slowly looks up to see Cerise being behind a small bar window. The blob-like creature waves at the two Pokemon with his tail. "Cerise!"

Zeke looks at Cerise, tilting his head confusedly. "Cer-who?"

The first guard hears the Heracross' shouting and looks at the cell. "Hey! What's with all the ruckus!?" The guard yells. The second guard wakes up from the sudden outburst, pointing his spear all over the place before turning to the cell.

"Y-Yeah! What that guy said." The second guard says before yawning.

Cerise quickly hides behind the bars before Jimmy speaks. "Oh, erm. I was just talking to myself and my buddy was telling me to stop. I'm crazy like that, ya know?" The Heracross then crosses his eyes to look silly while making some awkward noises.

"Yeah. Man, why don't you be normal for once, you weirdo?" Zeke says, playing along as he shakes his head at the silly Heracross. The guards look at each other for a moment before staring back at the two.

"Alright then. And stop being crazy, Heracross." The first guard demands.

"Durr, okay!" Jimmy says, sticking his tongue out playfully. Cerise sees all of this and snickers quietly.

The guard shakes his head before he and the other guard turn around, no longer looking at the cell. "Welp, I'm hungry so…" The first guard looks at the second. "Mind keeping an eye on these two?"

The second guard looks at the first and nods. "Sure sure. Go ahead." The second guard says before the first floats from the cell. As soon as the first guard leaves the area, the second goes right to sleep. Jimmy blinks, returning his tongue back into his mouth.

"Well then, didn't know that I can act very well." Jimmy says, feeling quite amazed by his performance.

"Haha, same here." Zeke agrees, snickering quietly. Jimmy then takes his attention to Cerise, seeing him no longer hiding behind the bars.

"Anyway, Cerise, where have you been?" Jimmy asks quietly to the blob-like creature.

Cerise shrugs, looking off to the side in guilt. "I...have been spying on you and the others after you guys got captured." Cerise says, closing his eyes in shame.

Jimmy gasps in surprise. "What? Why didn't you do anything about it!?"

"L-Look. It's because I'm trying to figure out a way to save you guys while spying…" Cerise sighs. "You think I enjoy seeing you guys in pain? Especially after hearing the history behind this kingdom and why it's like this." Cerise shakes his head. "I feel _terrible_ for not being able to save you all...but again, I just needed a good opportunity to do so...especially you, Jimmy. You're about to be killed tomorrow."

Jimmy stares at Cerise for a moment before sighing. "I see. Sorry for thinking that you didn't care about us."

"Oh please. After accepting me to tag along with you amazing Pokemon, I would never dare to ditch you all." Cerise smiles at Jimmy.

"Why thanks, pal!" Jimmy smiles back.

Cerise nods before gasping, forming a realization. "You know what, Jimmy...I'll tell you my plan on how you can escape after I go rescue the Pokemon egg. It just came to my head, recently."

"The Pokemon what?" Zeke asks.

"Erm, some Pokemon egg that a friend of mine found a while back." Jimmy answers, shrugging.

"Oh."

"...Oh right, um. Cerise, this is Zeke and Zeke this is Cerise." Jimmy says. "I manage to res-"

"Rescue Zeke from that guard earlier? Yeah. I saw the whole thing, Jimmy. I'll be sure to tell him about the escape plan as well." Cerise interrupts the Heracross, smiling gleefully.

"Ah, I see." Jimmy nods. "Anyway, good luck retrieving the egg, buddy." Cerise nods firmly and hops off from the window, no longer being at the two's sight.

. . .

Meanwhile at the dining room, a bunch of Cloysters seem to gather around the dinner table. Glorious amounts of ice related foods and drinks are on the table. Some of the Cloysters even feast on these foods and drinks as they chat with one another. Also at the table are Cocoon, Sheer, and Exo; Cocoon is sitting at the top of the table while Sheer sits next to him. Exo is sitting on the left side of the table, drinking his cold beverage in pure pleasure. Beside the three are Norah and her family, serving as waiters for the Cloysters. And being on the right side of the table is Mat, who's socializing with other Cloysters besides him.

"My my, king. Your feast is absolutely astounding. More so than the last feast." One Cloyster says humbly, holding his cup in a proper manner.

"Yeah! I agree!" The second Cloyster says before her and the others nod their heads. Cocoon looks at them and smiles gently.

"Thank you all. I'm always willing to invite my citizens to our wonderful feast." Cocoon says calmly. Norah stares at him, her eyes filled with grudge.

 _Yeah but you're not willing to improve your town's condition, huh?_ Norah thinks before letting out a soft sigh. As the Cloysters continue their dinner, Norah looks at Mat in hopes of him looking back. Mat seems to be laughing with the Cloyster next to him, lifting his head up in joy.

"So I told the woman, 'Well ma'am, maybe you should make your _dol_ out of _clay_ '." Mat says while grinning. Norah raises her brow at Mat, shaking her head slowly. Brook then coughs loudly, catching Mat's attention as he looks at Norah and her family. "Hmm?" Norah tilts her head repeatedly at Cocoon, signalling Mat to talk with him. "Oh. Um." Mat turns toward the shiny Cloyster, seeing him drink his beverage from his jeweled, golden cup. "My king, may I speak with you for a moment?"

Cocoon looks at him, blinking confusedly. "Is it important?" He asks.

Mat nods. "Yes, it is."

"Alright then." Cocoon and Mat exit out of their seats and float toward the corner of the dining room. Sheer watches them, turning his head slightly as the others continue their lovely meals. The two Pokemon stop within their tracks and look at each other. "What is it that you want to discuss about?"

"I...wanted to ask you if you could, well…" Mat looks off to the side, shrugging nervously.

Cocoon raises his brow at him. "If I could what?"

Mat gulps. "If you could release those prisoners from earlier, please? I mean, they've done nothing wrong to become prisoners here."

The king glances at the Cloyster sternly. "So stealing from a shop owner, then harassing my royal guards isn't wrong?"

Mat shrugs. "I...erm. Well...you see…" Mat chuckles nervously, sweatdropping. "I mean, you have to understand, i-it's a misunderstanding."

"On what, Mat? I don't see anything misunderstanding about stealing an item and harassing others." Cocoon glares at him. "Are you trying to side with the _wrong_ here?"

"What? No. I mean...well, I, erm." Mat shrugs awkwardly while Norah sighs heavily and Brook shakes his head. Then Sheer exits out of his seat and floats toward Cocoon.

"Sorry to interrupt this conversation of yours, my king. But I must inform you that an execution is set to happen tomorrow." Sheer says firmly. Cocoon looks at him.

"And who's being executed?" The shiny Cloyster asks.

"Just some no life prisoners who attacked one of our guards for no reason other than to cause trouble. Those prisoners being a Heracross and a Cloyster."

"I see." Cocoon sighs. "I suppose the execution can commence for tomorrow. And don't worry about our conversation." The king stares at Mat sternly. "It has ended, anyway."

Mat gulps cautiously, taking his eyes on Norah and Brook. Brook shakes his head while Norah looks off to the side. _A Heracross is being executed tomorrow? Could that mean…_ Norah thinks to herself, staring at the ground with concerns forming throughout her face. As the three Cloysters return to their seats, they hear shattering noises.

"What in the world?" Cocoon says, him and the others turning toward their right. They look at a brown door in front of them, hearing the noises coming from there. They float towards the door, Exo being the one deciding to open it with caution.

The door leads to the kitchen area; The kitchen contains bowls, pans and other objects being set on the ceiling or next to the sinks. The sinks themselves are on the left or upper left side of the area and an open window being above the left sink. Within the kitchen are three Cloyster chefs, each wearing an apron containing a Cloyster figure. They seem to be chasing after Cerise, who is holding the Pokemon egg on his back.

"Stop right there, you green blob!" One of the chefs yells, dashing after the blob. Cerise is turning from one corner to the next, outrunning the three chefs.

"Hey! What seems to be the problem here!?" Exo asks before seeing Cerise having the Pokemon egg. He drops his jaw from the madness he's witnessing. "What the!? HEY! THAT EGG IS FOR THE FEAST, YOU THIEF!" Others look at the blob as Exo begins to chase after him.

Norah tilts her head slightly in confusion. "Hmm?" She says curiously, watching the chase madness. Cerise then hops onto the counter nearby the open window and throws the egg towards it. Cerise prepares himself to jump.

"Quick! Now's our chance!" Exo shouts before him and the chefs float towards Cerise in a quick pace. As soon as they reach him, Cerise jumps over the window, leading the four to bump against each other hard and fall onto their backs. The four Pokemon become dizzy afterwards, remaining there for awhile. Cocoon and the others rush towards the window only to see nothing but the dark sky, the forest in the background, and grass.

"Who was that thief?" Cocoon asks, staring firmly at the outside. Sheer looks at him and shrugs.

"I have absolutely no clue, sir." Sheer answers. Exo and the chefs then stop being dizzy and look at the group.

"Well jeez, whoever that was, they took something that'll make this feast ten times better than before!" Exo pouts, streaming tears infinitely. "These chefs are so amazing at their jobs. I remember tasting their Icy Supremes, Icicle Express, and much...much more. Just…" The Cloyster begins to whine drastically. "Why would anyone do such a foul thing!?"

Everyone looks at Exo and sweatdrops, Mat chuckling softly to himself while Sheer shakes his head. Cocoon sighs softly. "Now now, Exo. No need to throw a fit over an egg. I'm sure that the feast would be magnificent even without it." Cocoon says calmly, patting Exo on the back. Norah sees the kind act from the shiny Cloyster, sighing softly before looking away. "So with that being said, shall we resume to the feast?"

Exo looks at the shiny Cloyster and nods. "O-Okay…" Then everyone exits out the kitchen area, the chefs returning back to cleaning the dishes and other things. While that happens, Norah looks at the window curiously.

 _Hmm...I wonder what kind of Pokemon that thing is._ Norah thinks for a moment before following the others.

. . .

Back at the prison cell Jimmy and Zeke are in, the two lean against the wall. Jimmy is tapping his nail calmly on the wall, looking up at the bar-like window. Zeke looks at the window as well, having a rather paranoid look on his face.

"Um. Are you sure that your friend is coming back?" Zeke says, looking at the Heracross. Jimmy looks back at the Cloyster.

"I'm pretty sure of it. I've known him for quite awhile now so I'm aware that he won't ditch us." Jimmy says, smiling warmly at Zeke. The two then see Cerise appear on top of the bar-like window, trying to balance the Pokemon egg on his head. "Oh speaking of which."

Cerise sweatdrops, leaning his body back and forth from trying to hold the egg. "C-Crud! Jimmy, quickly catch this egg!" Cerise says before tossing the egg towards the Heracross.

"Oh shoot!" Jimmy goes side by side, trying to find the right angle to catch the egg. Zeke watches the egg fly towards the Heracross worriedly.

"U-Uh…" Zeke says in a awkward tone before Jimmy catches the egg.

"I caught it! No worries!" Jimmy smirks proudly and sees Cerise falling onto the hay in the corner of the cell, having it make some noise. The Cloyster guard wakes up for a moment, looking around cautiously before going back to sleep. Zeke sees the guard returning to his slumber and sighs in relief, taking his eyes back onto the blob.

Cerise brushes himself off with his tail and sighs. "Thank goodness you did. It'll be such a disaster if you didn't catch the egg." Cerise says worriedly.

Zeke tilts his head curiously. "Why's that?" He asks.

"Because," Jimmy pauses for a moment before showing the egg to Zeke. "This Pokemon egg contains a potential newborn who's ready to see the world." He then rubs the egg gently. "My friends and I are willing to take care of whatever Pokemon is going to hatch from it."

"I see. And how long have you been keeping that egg?"

Jimmy thinks for a moment. "I suppose a few days ago." He then rubs the egg against his face, feeling how warm it is and hearing some kind of...heartbeat? Jimmy's eyes widen, gasping softly at what he's hearing.

"Is something wrong?" Cerise asks, him and Zeke blinking confusedly at the Heracross.

"Wow...I'm...hearing heartbeats from this egg." Jimmy looks at the two. "This means the egg _could_ be close to hatching."

Cerise and Zeke gasp shockingly. "R-Really!? Th-This is the worst possible time for it to hatch!" Cerise shakes his head. "Erm, hopefully it can wait a little longer before it hatches…"

"I see. I'll hide it underneath this hay for now." Jimmy walks to the hay, sliding the egg underneath it and covering it with the haystacks. "We'll come back for it when all of this is over."

Cerise nods. "Indeed." He then sighs heavily. "So about the escape plan…"

Zeke blinks for a moment before speaking. "Ah yes, the plan. What is it?"

"Well…" Cerise then begins to whisper to the two Pokemon, Jimmy and Zeke leaning closely during so.

. . .

Meanwhile at the crew's cell, everyone is in the same prison cells they were before. Two guards are guarding the cells, one being next to the first cell while the other is next to the third cell across from the first guard. Both guards stand firmly, having their spears within their possession. Coming in the area are four guards returning Norah, Brook and Azure to the cell Iris is in. They lock the cell up and exit out of the prison area.

Iris looks at Norah and her family, folding her arms while leaning against the wall. "Are you three alright?" Iris asks.

Brook nods slowly. "We're...doing fine so far. You?" Brook replies.

"Well…" Iris turns her head towards the crew, seeing them drown into sorrow before sighing. "A close friend of ours is being executed by tomorrow."

The three Pokemon gasp. "O-Oh no…" Azure says, shaking in fear. "N-Not that thing that makes others become g-ghosts…"

"Excuse me, what?" Iris tilts her head confusedly at the young Shellder.

Norah shrugs. "She thinks every Pokemon that withers away becomes a ghost..." Norah says. "Which that itself I can't prove on being true or not."

"I see…"

"And about your friend...It's the Heracross, right? If so, then I'm truly, truly sorry that he's about to get killed."

Mark's ear flickers at what Norah said and slams his paws against the bars. "HE'S NOT GOING TO DIE! WE'LL FIND A WAY TO SAVE HIM!" Mark yells, tearing up while gritting his teeth. Norah yelps from the loud slam as the first guard glances sternly at the Riolu.

"Shut up, Riolu!" The first guard says, pointing his spear at Mark. Mark grips his fist before bursting into tears. Natalie hugs him, rubbing his back gently. His tears of sorrow lead others to feel grim and depressed for the Riolu. Anna and Claire shake their heads, Anna gritting her teeth angrily while Ashen presses his head against the wall gloomily and Lucas curls himself up on the ground, not showing his face to anyone.

Iris sighs, having her hand against her face. "I mean, can there be a way to save Jimmy?" She asks.

"It seems to me like he's already a goner." Trent says, leading Iris to immediately look at him in the fourth cell. "I know this from my experience on losing those I grew close to…"

"But you told me that you won't give up on finding your true love. Therefore, we shouldn't give up on finding a way to save our friend, right?"

"I know but...how can you save him exactly?" Trent blinks, worriedness forming throughout his face.

"I...I'm not sure but…" Iris groans heavily, looking away. "We'll find a way...Hopefully…"

Norah takes her eyes on Trent in a curious manner. "Wait, did you say true love?" She asks.

Trent nods firmly. "Yeah, um…" The Lucario tells Norah what he told Iris, seeing her nodding afterwards.

"I see...I hope that you can find your significant other someday..." Norah smiles warmly.

"Same here…" Trent lowers his ears, sighing heavily. Iris looks off to the ceiling, having her paw against her chin.

"Hmm…" She says, squinting her eyes gradually. Brook notices the look Iris is forming, floating close to her.

"What are you thinking about?" The old Cloyster asks curiously, leading Norah and her daughter to look at Iris as well.

"Hmm...I'm curious about that Sheer fella…" The Dragonite answers, looking at the three Pokemon. "When my friends and I tried to attack him with our moves, he prevented them from working by having his eyes glow blue…" Iris then stares sternly at the brick wall. "This leads me to believe that he has a-"

"Mythical Power? I'm pretty sure that's the case, too." Norah says, interrupting Iris. Iris looks at her.

"You know what that is?"

Norah nods. "Yes. Pokemon being born with rare powers, correct? My father and I read a book called 'The History behind Mythical Powers' from the Cloy Town Library."

Brook joins in on the conversation. "It goes into detail about the mystery behind it and how it occurs to some Pokemon that are born with it. Even those that are born with it aren't aware that they have it until they've used it."

"Huh...Interesting." Iris says, being intrigued by what she's hearing.

"Also, from what Norah and I read from the book, these powers are labeled as one of these three categories: Attack, Defense, and Diverse. Attack allows the user to only harm their opponents, Defense allows the user to only defend themselves or others around them, and Diverse allows the user to harm their opponents and defend themselves or others at the same time."

Iris blinks in surprise. "Oh wow. I...didn't know that about Mythical Powers."

Anna and Lucas' ears flicker, leading them to look at the third cell. "So my Mythical Power must be Attack then. Since it only harms the opponent." Lucas says, catching on.

"And mine is Diverse. Since it harms the opponent and protects me at the same time." Anna says, following along before shrugging. "Well...sorta protects me if you ignore its tediously long healing process and painful as heck wounds I had to endure…" Anna grimaces at the thought of it. Norah and Brook raise their brows at the two.

"Wait, those two have Mythical Powers as well?" Norah asks curiously. Iris shrugs awkwardly.

"Yeah, erm…" Iris explains the whole thing about Anna and Lucas to the two.

"Ah, I see. Interesting MPs, I should say."

"Yeah...but back to the subject, Sheer's MP has to be Defense. Because it only protects him from being hit by our moves and it doesn't harm us during the process, right?" Iris says, catching on to the mechanics of Mythical Powers.

"Hmm...I would say it could be Diverse since it technically is harming you guys from using your moves on him."

"I mean, technically. But harming would imply us feeling pain from the effect. We didn't feel any sorts of pain when he used his MP. More so we felt confused, for that matter."

Norah shrugs. "Then it's likely Defense."

"But. What Norah and I did learn from The History Behind Mythical Powers," Brook clears his throat for a moment before speaking. "Is that they all have a weakness. The weaknesses can either be easily spotted or hard to noticed."

"I feel like that's obvious to know about Mythical Powers." Iris leans against the wall, having her arms behind her head while her tail swings back and forth gently. "So what could be Sheer's MP weakness?"

Norah and Brook look at each other before shrugging at the Dragonite. "We're not one hundred percent sure on this exactly, but we predict that his weakness could be his barb on his forehead." Norah says firmly. "Think about it: No other Cloyster, not even the king, has a barb as big as his. So maybe that could be the key to weakening him."

Iris thinks for a moment before nodding. "Alright. I'll keep that in mind then. And speaking of Sheer, I got one more question to ask you two."

"And that is?" Norah tilts her head slightly, curiosity digs within her body.

"Can you two trust Sheer?" Iris asks, leading her eyes to glance at the exit of the prison area. "Because I sure as heck can't."

"Well...you're not the only one, Iris. He's ruthless and uncaring compared to the king's previous senator, Brisk." Brook says in a vexed tone.

"I mean, he gives his prisoners a 1 second break. _ONE_." Iris grips her fist. "Oh that just pisses me off the more I think about it."

"I mean, he does worse than just a 1 second break. Such as insulting others for making a mistake, ruining children's dream on becoming a senator just like him, and much more." Brook sighs while shaking his head.

"And he does all of that _without the king noticing it_!?" Brook nods at the Dragonite's question, causing her to snarl and punch the wall. "That guy _NEEDS_ to get fired from his position."

"Indeed." Norah agrees with the Dragonite, sweatdropping while forming an annoyed look on her face.

Iris then sighs heavily, sitting down on the ground. "Well...I'll have to get some rest for tomorrow's unnecessary scavenger hunt again."

Brook nods calmly. "Same for us getting some rest for more castle work."

"Alright...goodnight then." Iris says, shaking her head before closing her eyes. The others go to rest silently as well.

. . .

The next day, Jimmy and Zeke are resting against the wall quietly. Jimmy cuddling against the wall happily while groaning. "Mmm...delicious tree saps…" He says to himself sleepily, chuckling softly. Then the cell door opens for the two, leading Jimmy and Zeke to wake up. "Hmm?" Jimmy blinks, seeing four guards being within his view.

"You two, come with us." One of the guards says in a firm tone. Jimmy and Zeke look at each other for a moment before looking at the guards and nodding. The guards then take the two with them and head towards their right, exiting out of their prison area.

Over at the crew's cell, about six guards enter the prison area they're in and do the same for them as well: Opening each cell and forcing them to exit out of the prison area. As the crew make it to the hallway, they see four guards holding Jimmy and Zeke hostage. The gang all show grimace within their faces, seeing their friend being taken away. Mark and Natalie gasp when they see Jimmy, leading them to immediately escape from the guards' grasp and head towards him.

"Mistress, wait!" Claire shouts, seeing the two running off as the two guards chase after them.

"JIMMY!" Mark and Natalie yell, tears running down from their faces like waterfalls as they drop to the ground and leave trails. As soon as they try to reach closer to the Heracross, the guards catch them. They have them pinned down before dragging them away from Jimmy. The two start restraining from the capture, both whining and whimpering during so. "No! Jimmy!" The two yelp, wanting to be with their heroic friend so much. Jimmy looks at the two and sighs heavily while moving forward.

"Let us go, you...you-"

"YOU ASSHOLES!" Mark yells, interrupting Natalie. The crew gasps at Mark's behavior before one of the guards glances at him.

"Watch your foul language, kid!" The guard says in a annoyed tone before everyone continues walking.

. . .

The gang are being taken to the forest while Jimmy and Zeke are heading to Ster Town. In the town, the two notice Exo being next to two wooden boards as a crowd of Cloysters stare at him in the middle of the town.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I announce to you, our 30th execution in a long run!" Exo confirms while the guards take Jimmy and Zeke towards the boards.

Jimmy raises his brow at what the Cloyster said. "Wait, this is their 30th time executing someone!?" Jimmy says, feeling terrified by the thought. Zeke blinks, tilting his head curiously.

"Yeaaah...I guess this town has some problems regarding cruel folks or something. I don't know." Zeke explains, shrugging awkwardly. Jimmy gulps as the guards push him and Zeke towards the boards.

On top of one of the buildings, Cerise is lying down while spying on the execution event quietly. Exo gladly continues his speech. "There lies the good. There lies the evil. These two _are_ a part of the evil. Whom are willing to face their deaths as boldly as their disobedient souls can be!" Exo preaches to the crowd in a stern, terrifying tone while the guards set the two Pokemon onto the boards. They use the straps on the boards to tie the two, making sure that they don't escape. "So with their bygones be bygones, rest assure that this lovely town of ours shall be purified from ANNNY kinds of evil spouting from the Distortion's domain!" Exo dramatically lean his head back, releasing his breath heavily. The crowd all sweatdrop at the odd Cloyster before he continues his speech. "With that being said, thou shalt release thy executioner!"

The guards hear someone coming from behind them and move out of the way, revealing a Cloyster wearing a black mask and carrying an black axe. The Cloyster moves next to the two Pokemon, leading them both to gulp nervously. _Oh I hope Cerise knows what he's doing to make this plan work…_ Jimmy thinks, having his eyes narrow at the sharp curves on the axe.

"The executioner will be rid of the evil! He will be rid of the corruption! He will be rid of the dar-" Exo coughs out a random piece of ice, clearing his throat for a moment. "Heh heh, my sincere apology for that, everyone. I had a bit of those Icicle Expresses stuck within my mouth." Everyone sweatdrops more at him before he continues speaking. "Anywho, the execution shall rain down upon these two," Exo turns toward Jimmy and Zeke, narrowing his eyes at them. "Disgusting, filthy, abominations from the Cloyster Kingdom!" He then looks at the black mask Cloyster, nodding his head at him. "Let the execution commence!"

The executioner nods back, preparing to use his axe on the two. Some of the audience look away while others continue to watch. The executioner positions his axe at Zeke first, slowly lifting his axe up in the air. Zeke closes his eyes, embracing himself as he winces. "Oh dear…" Zeke says to himself.

Cerise sees the execution about to happen as he gets up. "That's my cue." He says before hopping off from the building. He aims to land in between the wooden boards and manages to do so, having the executioner stop in his tracks. The executioner looks at Cerise in confusion along with everyone else.

Exo's eyes widen at the green blob. "Wait a second...isn't that-"

"Hi." Cerise says, interrupting the Cloyster before glowing bright green. This causes the executioner and the guards around him to become blinded by the unexpected glow.

"Ah! What the!?" Exo groans, looking away from the green light. This leads the crowd to be confused by the situation going on. Soon a bunch of flat blobs appear all over the town and glow green as well, turning into green light and flying towards Cerise. The crowd notices the lights aiming at Cerise, gasping and aweing at the green arrays.

Cerise's size begins to grow, leading him to form four canine-like legs and his tail to extend a bit further. His face resembles that of a canine as well while he's still glowing. Cerise slashes the straps off from Zeke and Jimmy with his paws, grabbing the two subsequently with his teeth: Jimmy's arm in one end, Zeke's spike in another. "Whoa!" Jimmy yelps, seeing the glowing figure dashing off with him and Zeke within his possession.

The green light fades away, no longer in the Cloysters' view as they look to see the canine running off with the two Pokemon. "Wh-What in the...THAT THING IS HEADING TO ZERO FOREST! A-AFTER IT!" Exo shouts angrily, leading the guards to chase after Cerise. The canine seems to be running in the pathway that leads to the forest.

As Cerise heads into the forest, he zooms past the guards roaming around the area and continues on dashing. While this happens, Iris and the others happen to see the canine running in a quick pace. The crew are next to a tree as they witness the glowing figure running off into a pathway that's dark. "Huh?" Iris says, tilting her head curiously. "Was that...Jimmy just now?"

The gang then notices the guards from Ster Town looking around the area thoroughly, trying to find Cerise and the other two Pokemon. "It seems like that may be the case if the guards are searching around rapidly." Trent replies to Iris, concerned about the situation as well. Natalie whimpers, having her ears down.

"I-I hope he's okay…" Natalie says worriedly.

Ashen sighs. "We hope so too, Natalie. But...he was being taken away by something else…" Ashen says, putting his hand against his chin. "So I'm not sure if he's going to be fine or not…"

The gang looks off at the pathway worriedly. "Ashen has a point...Whatever that thing is…" Anna pauses for a moment, shaking her head. "I hope that it doesn't harm Jimmy..." She then blinks into realization. "Which leads me to realize...Where's Cerise?"

. . .

Deep within the Zero Forest, Jimmy and the other two are resting by a couple of bushes and trees. Not much sunlight shines through this part of the forest, leaving Jimmy and the other two to barely see anything.

"Oh man...That was...a close call." Jimmy says, sighing in relief.

Zeke pants heavily, looking at the Heracross. "Yeah. Tell me about it. I was nervous throughout that situation." He replies before chuckling softly. Jimmy then turns towards the canine, who seems to be in the bushes at the moment.

"I'd like to thank Cerise for telling us about that escape plan."

"You're welcome." Cerise says in a rather low yet soft tone. Jimmy and Zeke look at the bush, raising their brow.

"Uh...is it me or did that dude's voice sound different than before?" Zeke asks, tilting his head slightly. Cerise pokes half of his body out of the bush, having a black canine-like appearance with a green 'leash' that continues beyond his neck. His eyes is also pure white, hexagon-like shape, has an red crest on his chest, and his left front paw is colored green.

Jimmy blinks, feeling quite surprised by Cerise's appearance. "Cerise...You look...different." Jimmy says, scratching the side of his head.

"Yeah...I know. Apparently, I remember that I can change my appearance. With these flat versions of myself...I'm not exactly sure how but I'm glad that I remember. Because it played a major role on this escape plan." Cerise gets out of the bush, revealing his full body.

Zeke smiles. "Ah. Now I see what you mean by 'I'll do something drastic' when telling us about the plan. This _is_ something drastic." Zeke says, sighing in relief.

Cerise nods firmly. "Now then...we need to form another plan."

Zeke tilts his head curiously. "On what exactly?"

Cerise looks at the dim light from the sun. "On saving the others. And I think I might know how…"

Jimmy leans against the tree next to him, poking a hole in it and having his mouth next to it. "Alright. Tell away, pal." Jimmy says before drinking some sap from the tree. Zeke looks at the Heracross, raising his brow at him. Jimmy looks back and blinks confusedly. "What? My kind drinks saps from trees. It's in our blood, believe it or not." The Heracross grins before continuing to drink sap.

"Uh...right." Zeke says, sweatdropping before taking his eyes back to Cerise. "So what's the plan on saving these friends of yours?"

Cerise nods. "Right. So…" Cerise begins to tell the plan to Jimmy and Zeke.

 _End of Chapter 16._


	18. Chapter 17

**Author's notes: Greetings, everyone! Here's new chapter from MM and I just wanted to say that I had an amazing time plotting/drafting this chapter, even though my brain tended to not think during those parts of the chapter most of the time but eh, I made it through anyway. Also to mention that we're coming towards the end of our first MM arc. Pretty short, right? Well, either that or time must had flied by so fast for me. Either way, I'm happy that I had upload this chapter for you all to see. As always, let me know what you think about it because your support and feedback can help me out on this story in the future a lot. Without further ado, enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: Suspicion Within the Kingdom.**

 _Cloyster Kingdom Arc_.

The Cloyster guards search throughout the Zero Forest, the prisoners in the area looking rather confused by the rapid search. Somewhere inside of the castle is the king laying down on the bed within his room; The room contains luxury materials and furnitures such as the bright yellow bed itself and the beautiful red walls. The dressers are positioned across the bed, pinning against the top left corner. Cocoon's bed is kingsize, with red curtains being on top of the bed. The four brown wooden poles on each ends of the bed are holding the curtain, making sure the curtain doesn't fall off.

Cocoon glances at the ceiling before letting out a soft, lament sigh. "I didn't want to see you go, Brisk…" Cocoon says, shaking his head. "You were such an amazing friend. Who cared enough to help me overcome family issues, the difficult task of being a ruler, and stress in general...Now that you're gone...I feel like I can't be as positive as I used to be…" Cocoon shuts his eyes.

He imagines a festival going on in his head. He was in front of a crowd of Cloysters and Shellders, talking about the goals he achieved in protecting the kingdom and being proud of it. Then a gunshot was heard and a Cloyster got in front of him, the bullet hitting the Cloyster's head. Cocoon stared at the gundown Cloyster in terror, shouting the name, "Brisk!"

Returning back to present time, he opens his eyes and shakes his head. "I wish it was me who got shot...not you…" A tear slowly drips down from his eye, sliding off from his face and landing onto the bedsheets. Soon, he hears a knock coming from his door and looks at it. "Come in." The king says before seeing a large barbed Cloyster entering his room. The Cloyster, Sheer, closes the door behind him quickly.

"My king, I have serious news to tell you!" Sheer says in a worrisome tone.

Cocoon tilts his head in curiosity. "What is it?"

"The two prisoners had escaped their execution from Ster Town!"

Cocoon lifts his body up, looking rather tense. "What? How did they escape?"

"From what Exo informed me, the green thing from last night appeared in front of the executioner and blinded him by glowing. Then it released the two prisoners from their straps and escaped with them."

"I see…" Cocoon looks to the side, thinking deeply about the situation. "Well, be sure to tell the guards to keep a look out for both the thing and the prisoners. Even in the castle, too."

Sheer nods. "They're already doing that but I'll be sure to remind them again, sir." Sheer then turns around and floats towards the door. He is about to exit the room until Cocoon's voice puts him on halt.

"Wait, Sheer."

Sheer turns around and looks at him curiously. "Yes, my king?"

The shiny Cloyster looks to the side, glancing at the ground. "I...wanted to ask you something: Have I ever made any good decisions for the Cloyster Kingdom? I mean…" He groans depressingly. "Ever since my previous senator passed away, I...haven't been myself lately. Or at least it seemed that way for the past couple of years since the Cloyster Ceremony incident…"

Sheer floats towards the king and sits besides him. "I'm sure that you have, sir."

"But the folks I'd taken in as prisoners lately...They said that the rules here are unfair and unhealthy. They're not what it used to be…"

Sheer shakes his head. "Don't listen to them, sir. They're only mad because they couldn't follow the rules, that's all."

"But it seems more than just th-"

Sheer turns the king towards him, interrupting him. "I guarantee you that you're doing an amazing job at protecting this kingdom, my king. After all, no one has complained about the kingdom before. Why wait until now when they could've complained about it back then? That's how you know they're ignorant and disobedient."

Cocoon shrugs. "Are you sure, Senator Sheer?" The shiny Cloyster asks cautiously.

Sheer nods humbly. "I'm positive, sir."

Cocoon lets out a sigh and lays down on his back. "Alright. Thanks for cheering me up, Sheer."

Sheer smiles and gets up. "Anything for a king of mine, sir." He then floats towards the door and exits the room. As he closes the door behind him, he begins to smirk before turning to his left and head downstairs.

. . .

Meanwhile at the forest, multiple guards continue their hunt for the escape prisoners. Some are searching on the right side while others search on the left. A pretty hectic movement going on for the guards, in general. Within the area, the gang are socializing about the situation going on today. They're surrounded by three trees and a couple of bushes, a small pond being behind the bushes.

"I can't believe that it took us two days to realize Cerise is gone." Iris says, looking off to the side sternly.

"Yeaaah…" Anna replies, scratching the back of her head.

"We were so focused on the situation going on in this kingdom that we forgot about him…" Ashen joins in the conversation, sweatdropping.

Anna looks at him. "Yeah, I know."

Claire sits down as she watches the guards. "He could've ditched us when we were getting caught." Claire says calmly.

The gang all narrow their eyes at the Shinx. "No way! I refuse to believe that, Claire!" Natalie says.

"Yeah! Cerise is our friend and he'll never do that!" Mark agrees, gripping his fists.

Claire turns her head towards the two and says, "Well, what other reason do you think he's not with us then?". Natalie glances at Claire, leading her to shrug unsurely. "I'm sorry, mistress. As much as I'd like to agree with you, I can see my point of view standing out more towards this. I mean again, why else would he be gone?"

Natalie blinks at the Shinx before shaking her head. "No. It...can't be that…He can't just ditch us like that..." Natalie looks at Iris, Ashen, Anna, Lucas and Trent. "R-Right?" The five look at each other for a moment before shrugging at the Zorua, leading her to become anxious. She whimpers, shaking her head once more. "No way. He's our friend!"

Claire rubs the Zorua's back gently. "Maybe he didn't see us as his friend. Thus, leading him to betray us."

Natalie sighs. "First Iris being a jerk, then us getting imprisoned here, and now two of our friends aren't with us." Iris rolls her eyes and folds her arms, looking away from Natalie. The Zorua then slams her paw down. "Are there any more terrible things about to happen!? Maybe like, I don't know, a meteor striking down at us or something!?"

Claire's eyes widen a bit. "Now that sounds like a badass way to die." Everyone, except Iris, blinks at the Shinx in a concerning manner. "...I'm not helping, aren't I?"

Anna sighs and walks towards Natalie. "I think that you're exaggerating over this, Natalie. You too, Claire. Cerise couldn't ditch us because he had nowhere else to go. I'd sure as heck be confused as to where I'm going if I was planning to ditch you all." Anna speaks.

"To be honest, who knows if he could be faking his amnesia and know his way around these areas this whole time?" Claire solemnly tilts her head at Anna, giving the Ninetales an unsettling feeling.

Ashen shrugs. "Can't help but say that she does have a point, Anna...Even for a kid, oddly enough." Ashen says.

"Why thanks for agreeing with me. And I'm not a kid for the last time!" Claire glares at Ashen, making him feel uneasy as well.

Mark frowns, folding his arms. "Like Natalie and I said, we refuse to believe that." He says, looking at the Shinx.

Claire looks back. "Why's that?"

"Because Cerise felt terrible for the loss of my sister, leading to him wanting to travel with us…" Mark looks off to the side, sighing. "So him ditching us _can_ be out of the question."

Claire blinks in a peculiar manner, raising her brow. "I see."

The Shinx then licks her paw before Lucas slams his fist on top of his hand. "That green glowing thing is Cerise!" Lucas shouts at random. The gang looks at him, raising their brows.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ashen says, tilting his head confusedly.

"I'm saying that the glowing figure that took Jimmy and the random Cloyster is Cerise, mate! My gut is telling me so!"

Anna shakes her head. "Or maybe your gut is stirring you wrong. Because to me, that thing looks like something other than Cerise." Anna says.

"Well I just have a feeling that it's him. Wanna bet, mate?"

Anna grins. "Sure. If I win, you'll have to keep your mouth shut for three days."

"And if I win, you'll have to be nice to me for six days!"

Anna's eyes widen. "Six!? That's a lot for me to handle!"

"I was thinking twenty days." Lucas leans forward and raises his brow sinisterly. "Do you want that instead?" Anna gulps and shakes her head. "Alright. Then do we have a deal?"

Anna grins once more. "Yep. A deal it is." The two go to shake each other's paws before three guards arrive at their spot and tell them to continue the hunt. They all begin their search: Claire and Natalie look through the bushes, Mark climbing up one of the trees before searching through its leaves, Trent walking to a small pond, and the rest beginning to dig the ground or skim around a bit.

Trent gets on his knees and searches through the pond, swaying his arms separately inside of it calmly. His hands are touching nothing but pebbles and rocks within the pond. After awhile, he feels some type of hard mineral nudging against his paw. "Hmm?" He says, blinking curiously before grabbing the hard mineral and taking it out. He sees a marble-like stone with an blue, reddish symbol in his hand. His eyes widen in shock and awe, leading him to turn around immediately. "Hey! I found a Mega Stone!"

"What!?" Everyone says, stopping putting their progress on halt and looks at the Lucario. The three Cloysters float towards the Pokemon immediately, one of them eyeing at Trent sternly.

"Are you certain that thing is a Mega Stone?" The first guard asks. "Because last time, I had to backhand a prisoner in the head with my spear because they thought they found a Mega Stone when really, it was just a rock."

Trent blinks before shaking his head. "No no. This is the real deal. See?" He shows the Cloysters the Mega Stone, having them awe in amazement at its glorious glitter due to the sun shining at it.

"Well I be damned, he's telling the truth!" The second guard yells.

Soon, Sheer arrives in the forest. "Alright men, keep searching for the prisoners. It's by the order from the ki-" Sheer pauses for a moment and notices the group of Pokemon surrounding the Lucario by the small pond. "Oh?" Due to curiosity, Sheer floats towards the group. "What seems to be going on here?" He looks at the guards, awaiting an answer.

The first guard looks at Sheer and says, "This Lucario here happens to find a Mega Stone, sir.". Sheer looks at the stone in Trent's hand and begins to widen his eyes in amazement.

"You sir just earned yourself a break throughout the whole day. Come follow me now, please."

Everyone blinks in surprise from what Sheer said. "Follow you!?" The crew yells, eyeing at the large barbed Cloyster.

Trent shrugs. "Erm, don't you think it's a bit unfair to give me the full day off and not them?" The Lucario says, looking at Iris and the others.

Iris nods and says, "I agree. Why give him a break throughout the whole day when he found something rare, but not us?"

Sheer shakes his head humbly. "Tsks tsks, lady. That only happens when you find a Mega Stone." Sheer says calmly, smiling at the crew.

Iris grits her teeth. "What!? But you said we only get a one second break from any rare items we found."

"Well now I'm saying that you get a one second break from any rare items that you find _besides Mega Stones_. I forgot to mention that." Sheer smirks at the Dragonite. "My apologies."

Iris snarls. "Are you flipping-" Iris begins to shout some random insults and slurs at the large barbed Cloyster as Sheer and the guards guide Trent toward the exit of the forest. Iris then folds her arms, huffing in anger. "Can you believe this guy?"

Anna glares at the four Pokemon leaving. "Yes, this guy is a total jerk." Anna says before turning towards Iris. "Just like you."

Iris looks back and shakes her head. "Still on that, huh?"

"You're damn right, sista." Anna and Iris' eyes come in contact with each other, Iris glancing at her red eyes sternly while Anna stares at her grayish green eyes.

The Dragonite then sighs heavily and looks away. "Whatever."

As the four Pokemon leave the forest, Sheer floats next to the Lucario and whispers something to him. The crew happens to notice this from a distance, looking rather confused by the action being performed by Sheer.

"You know...I really don't understand why Sheer always whispers into Trent's ears." The Ninetales says, putting her paw against her chin. "It's gotten me curious, honestly."

"Same here, Anna." Ashen agrees, scratching the side of his head. "I have a feeling that he could be planning something with Trent. Not quite certain on what exactly."

Natalie glances at the exit for a moment before nodding. "Yep. And that's why, I have an idea!" She says, getting up on her feet.

The crew looks at the Zorua, taking quite the interest into her thought process. "What would that be, Natalie?" Mark asks.

"Well, it's something that just popped in my head, and I kinda feel like an idiot for not thinking about it until now. Wanna hear it?"

Claire nods obediently. "We'll certainly like to hear your idea, mistress." Claire says, leaning close to Natalie.

"Alright then." Natalie then tells everyone about the idea while whispering to them.

. . .

Back at the castle, Exo is humming and minding his own business while strolling through the hallway that happens to be nearby the stairs. He seems to be carrying a badge that looks like a Cloyster shell with it being color yellow as he stops by a door next to him. He then knocks on the door calmly.

"Why hello Sheer, are you there?" He asks humbly. "The king asked me a favor on giving you a special gift." No response. Exo shrugs nervously. "Um, you there Sheer? You...normally don't allow anyone in your room so...Just, wanting to make sure." No response, again. After waiting for awhile, Exo decides to open the door and enter inside. "Erm, I'll just set the badge in your room, if you don't mind." He closes the door behind him and gasps. "Whoooa. So this is how Sheer's room looks like."

Exo marvels at the inside of the senator's room; Seeing a blue bed being by the upper-left corner of the room while a red dresser is on the opposite side of the bed, being at the upper-right corner. The dresser contains a quill inside of an ink container, all sitting on top of the dresser. The walls are painted the color yellow, and there's another dresser positioned parallel to the first. The second dresser has a chair sitting beside it, and a lamp sitting on top of it. There's also a closet in between the two dressers on the right wall, and a window next to the bed.

"Sheer has quite the intriguing room, I must say." Exo sighs heavily. "Sadly, throughout all these times I've been living with the king," Exo stares at the window with tears streaming down drastically. "I NEVER HAVE A WINDOW! LIKE, IT WOULD BE NICE FOR ME TO SEE THIS KINGDOM'S GLORIOUS NATURE FROM MY ROOM!" He then takes a deep breath and exhales. "Alright alright. I got to calm down. Can't let something as ordinary as a window ruin my day...as if the day wasn't ruined the moment those two prisoners has escaped thanks to some glowing thing." Exo sweatdrops as he floats towards the left corner dresser. "First it kidnapped the egg, now the two prisoners! Seriously, what is that thing and why is it doing this!?" Exo sighs and sets the badge onto the dresser. "Ugh...hopefully they'll capture that thing and return the prisoners soon." He soon comes across a paper being on the dresser, looking at it confusedly. "Hmm?" He notices the paper seems like an checklist as he picks it up. "Looks like some type of to-do list…"

Exo reads the paper carefully and notices a checkmark being next to the words 'Assassination of Senator Brisk'. Exo gasps in shock and horror, looking up at the wall in front of him. "Oh dear...H-Has Sheer been planning Brisk's death all along? I mean, this can't be true...right?" Exo says to himself before looking back at the checklist paper. He notices another checkmark next to the words saying 'Manipulate the king into thinking he's making the right decisions'. "Oh dear Arceus…" He also spots something else that hasn't been checkmarked yet, but it leads him to become terrified: 'Kill King Cocoon, take all of his Pokedollars, and leave the kingdom in ruin'. The door begins to open behind the Cloyster, him not being aware of it. "I-I have to warn the king about Sheer's doings right now!"

Within a flash, Exo is hit in the head by a chair, leading him to fall towards the ground. He's passed out, him groaning a bit while lying there. Behind the Cloyster is none other than Sheer, who's wielding a now broken chair. "I didn't have to do this, Exo. But you just couldn't wait on the owner of this room to come by first, can't you?" Sheer says in a silent yet annoyed tone. He drops the chair and takes the checklist paper out of Exo's possession, opening the dresser in front of him and setting it inside of there. "I should really put that paper in this dresser next time." He mumbles to himself before looking at Exo's body. He grabs the body and stares at the closet, dragging the Cloyster towards the two doors. He then opens the closet and sets him inside of it. "...Ropes. That's what I'm missing."

Sheer looks at the second dresser and floats towards it immediately, digging inside of it only to get out a rope. Afterwards, he returns back to Exo and wraps the rope around him, tying him up. He then closes the closet and locks it by pressing a button on the doorknob. Sheer takes a deep breath and sighs, looking at the badge on the dresser. "Well don't mind if I do take this lovely badge here." He grabs the badge and looks at the closet. "Ah, badges like these bring me back to my childhood. When my grandfather had given me something similar to this...before telling me to throw it away, because badges seemed meaningless, when bold words and actions are the way to earn true respect." He smirks and puts the badge onto his inner shell. "I suppose I can agree with him on that. But I'll put it on anyway because I never gotten the chance to wear a badge in the first place."

He looks at the closet confidently. "You probably gave it to me on request of the king. I thank you for that, Exo." The large barbed Cloyster sighs in relief before staring at the exit. "Have fun staying stuck in the closet, my fellow comrade." Sheer then floats out of the room and closes the door behind him.

. . .

Nighttime has arrived. The guards outside of the castle are still in search of the prisoners at the Zero Forest. Meanwhile, inside of the castle, other guards are returning the crew to their respective prison cells. Trent, Norah and her family are in their cells already as they look at the gang. While this happens, Anna and Natalie look at each other before Natalie lets out a cry.

"Waaah! I want to go use the restroom so badly!" The Zorua cries, pleading one of the guards. Lucas looks down at himself and blinks for a moment.

"Me too, actually." Lucas says before squirming a bit. Anna glares at the Furret.

"Shhh!" The Ninetales whispers to him immediately.

"But I really do need to use it." Lucas whimpers, squirming some more. "I haven't used the restroom in a while, mate."

"Well you better flipping hold it for now. Because we really need Natalie to pull this off. Got it?"

Lucas whines while nodding. "O-Okay."

The guard sighs at the Zorua and shakes his head. "No. You can hold your fountain." He says to her.

Natalie shakes her head and whines some more. "But I have to use it so badly! I-I don't think I can take it anymore!" She exclaims, nudging against the Cloyster and clinging to him. "Please! Please! JUST PLEASE, LET ME USE IT!"

The guard looks at the others and rolls his eyes. "Fine. Just follow me so that you can shut up, alright?"

"Yaaay!"

Natalie clings to the guard as he looks at the others. "You four stay here while I take this Zorua to the restroom." The four nod before he exits out of the dungeon with the Zorua hanging onto him. Everyone looks at the two leaving, Anna gulps nervously.

 _Be careful, Natalie._ Anna thinks while lying down on the cold ground, having her face be on top of her foreleg.

The two head towards their right within a hallway and stop by a gray door. The door has the male and female symbol on it as the guard opens the door. As he enters, there's a sink being on the left side along with a mirror. And on the right side are two doors leading to separate restrooms: One for males and the other for females. He heads towards the female restroom door as Natalie hops off from him.

"Okay little Zorua, hurry up and use it. I don't have all day so-" The Cloyster is suddenly interrupted by a Shadow Ball hitting him, sending him crashing against the wall. "What the!?" He looks to see Natalie sticking her tongue out at him, leading him to become infuriated as her eyes begins to glow dark red. "Why you little brat!" He takes out his spear and charges towards the Zorua. He tries swinging at her but misses and gets slammed against the sink from Natalie's Night Daze attack, falling to the ground face first. The sink breaks due to the impact, water spilling out of it. The guard is knocked out cold as the Zorua's body stops glowing red along with her eyes.

"Well that wasn't so hard." Natalie says, brushing herself off before giggling. "What a fool for letting a _Tricky Fox_ Pokemon such as myself go to the restroom. Teehee." She then opens the female restroom door and pushes the guard inside of it, huffing while doing so. She closes the door afterwards and sighs in relief. "Phew. Now to do something that I should had done before." Natalie soon begins to glow dark pink, enlarging herself and changing into something else. Spikes beginning to appear on both sides of her body and a horn appearing on her forehead as well. She stops glowing only to reveal that her appearance has changed into a Cloyster, no longer her Zorua self.

"I can't believe that it took me till now to realize that I have the Illusion ability." She says in a male voice. "Oh...and my voice is different now that I'm taking on the appearance of this Cloyster." She begins to squirm, moving her body sluggishly. "W-Wow, this body feels weird to control. So heavy and...awkward." The Cloyster sweatdrops. "How do these Cloysters even get out of bed with this much weight on their bodies!?" Natalie huffs before turning towards a spear near the sink and grabbing it.

"Alright. It's time to go find Sheer!" She says to herself, floating towards the door and leaving the restroom. Despite changing her appearance, her tail remains visible at the end of the shell body. She begins searching around the castle, leaving the hallway and entering the center area of the castle. She stumbles across Sheer and Mat chatting with each other by the stairs, leading her to float behind a wall and spy on them.

"Glad to see that you achieved the King's Respect badge, Sheer." Mat says.

"Why thank you, fellow Mat. It takes time, patience and effort to earn such an honorable badge." Sheer replies back, looking up at the stairs firmly.

Mat chuckles nervously. "Well, I tried all of those but apparently, the king isn't giving the badge to me yet. It's almost as if my hard work being a guard here was for nothing."

Sheer looks at Mat, eyeing him. "Maybe you're not trying hard enough. With the amount of joking around and immature acts that you tend to do, no wonder he doesn't give you the yellow badge of respect." Sheer smirks at Mat, leading him to shrug and become speechless. "Now then, I'll be off to bed. Had a long day today and I feel like starting fresh for tomorrow."

"Yeah...same here." Mat sees Sheer floating upstairs as he follows along, looking rather upset. _Asshole._

Natalie is about to follow the two upstairs until she is spotted by another Cloyster guard. "Hey! What you doing by the stairs, and not with the others at the dungeon?" The guard asks, eyeing Natalie.

"Oh, um, ahem." Natalie clears her throat. "I was looking around the interior of this wonderful castle. I was so amazed by the designs here, that I got so distracted by it lately!" She says in a cheery, male tone. The guard raises his brow at the Cloyster.

"Erm, glad to hear that. The castle does look lovely indeed. But we got work to do so no loafing around at random."

Natalie salutes to the guard, exposing her tail slightly. "Roger that, sir!"

The guard then notices the tail and tilts his head confusedly. "I...didn't know that Cloysters have tails before. In fact, I don't recall one ever having such."

Natalie blinks for a moment before looking behind her, noticing her Zorua tail being visible and sweatdropping. _Oh crud! I didn't know that my ability would expose my tail during the Illusion!_ She thinks before looking at the guard. "U-Um...it's a, um, new type of fashion I have for Zorua's tails. Yeah. I got this tail after axing off a Zorua before coming to this kingdom...I just really adore them, that's all."

The guard's eyes widen in disturbance. "Oookay. I'll be heading outside to go help the others find the prisoners now. You take care, buddy…" He then scurries off to the exit of the castle quickly as Natalie waves at him with her spear.

"You too, bud!" Natalie then proceeds to head upstairs, trying not to be spotted along the way as she sweatdrops. _Holy heckles, was that embarrassing to say…_ After reaching the top floor, she sees a narrow hallway in front of her. On the left side of the hallway are about four windows, while on the right are two bedrooms. Natalie sees Mat entering the first one, him violently slamming the door behind him.

Natalie flinches from the amount of force Mat puts into the slam. _Jeez. He must be real mad about what Sheer said to him._ Natalie thinks. _Sheer is such a jerk, I swear._ Speaking of which, Natalie spots the large barbed Cloyster turning to his left and heading into another pathway. Natalie floats quickly after him. While following Sheer, she looks around the hallway and admires its beauty surrounding it throughout. The walls are painted the color red and have some decorations on it, such as a drawing of a Cloyster holding a Shellder. _Wow. I've forgotten about the beautiful scenery that this castle has._ She smiles. _Guess I was right about the king's castle looking pretty._ She soon stops to see Sheer opening his door and entering his room. She looks to the side several times to see if anyone is around. Nothing so far. She then glows dark pink again, her size decreasing as her spikes begin to disappear. She drops her spear as she hurries towards the room, completely changing back into her Zorua self.

Sheer closes the door behind him, Natalie managing to enter just before it fully closes. This leads him to blink and look around immediately. "Hmm?" He says confusedly. Nothing seems to be out of the norm, leading him to raise his brow. "Weird...Thought I saw someone passing by just recently." He lets out a heavy sigh. "Oh well." He then floats towards the first dresser and opens it, taking out the checklist paper. Over at the second dresser lies Natalie staying hidden behind it, looking at the large barbed Cloyster.

 _Hopefully I'll find out what he whispered to Trent earlier, or else I'll be sleeping here instead of the prison._ Natalie thinks before shifting a bit. _...Which I wouldn't mind, actually_. She watches Sheer grab his quill, dip it into the ink container, and put a checkmark next the words 'Find a specific Mega Stone'. Sheer soon sighs in relief.

"Now that the Mega Stone is checked off from the list, I can proceed to the final step: Kill Cocoon and steal his Pokedollars." Sheer sets the paper onto the dresser and grabs something else within his dresser. He takes out the blue, reddish Mega Stone from earlier, admiring its beautifully spherical structure. "Only then, will our deal be achieved, my friend. And I will have my every wish granted at long last." Sheer grins and puts the Mega Stone back as Natalie gasps at what she witnessed, her eyes jolting right open.

 _Sheer is planning on killing the king!? All because of this deal he has with someone?_ Natalie looks to the side, thinking deeply. _Then that means...Oh no._ She grits her teeth. _I have to warn the others before it's too late!_ She then begins to sneak out from the dresser, trying to head towards the exit. But she's greeted with an Ice Shard almost hitting her, yelping from the sudden attack as she jumps to the side.

"I don't think that's necessary, little Zorua." Sheer says calmly, leading Natalie to turn around slowly. He has another Ice Shard prepared within his possession. "Haven't your parents ever told you that intruding on someone's privacy is wrong?"

Natalie snarls. "So is making a deal that involves killing someone!"

Sheer glares at Natalie. " _You'll_ be the one killed if you dare move, little Zorua."

Natalie lifts her foreleg up, forming a Shadow Ball on her paw. "I just did!" She immediately fires the Shadow Ball at Sheer. Sheer flings his Ice Shard at the ball, causing it to collide massively with the ghastly orb. Sheer sees black smoke forming from the two attacks before Natalie jumps out of the smoke, her body forming a red aura around it along with her eyes being dark red. She screams while using Night Daze on Sheer, pushing her paw forward. Sheer's eyes glows blue, causing the Zorua to stop glowing completely. She hits Sheer's shell normally, gritting her teeth into frustration. "Dang it!"

Sheer then slams Natalie down with his large, barbed horn. Natalie struggles to get out of his grasp. She then bites down on the horn, leading Sheer to scream in pain and fling her violently towards the wall. Natalie yelps after crashing into it, groaning from the impact. "Ugh. You...insignificant parasite. Trying to cling towards my plans and ruin them!" He floats towards her, glancing sternly as he have his face closer to hers. "Then you try breaking my horn. Which I've been keeping clean and sharp for so long. You filthy peasant!" Natalie blinks for a moment before giggling softly. Sheer raises his brow. "What's so funny?"

The Zorua sighs in relief. "Nothing, nothing. I just so happened to find your weakness..."

"And that is?"

Natalie stares into Sheer's eyes and grins deviously. " _Your horn_."

Sheer widens his eyes, a fiery rage growing within them. "SHUT UP! I DON'T NEED SOME STUPID BRAT TELLING ME WHAT IS AND ISN'T MY WEAKNESS!" Then the enraged Cloyster smacks Natalie towards the second dresser with his spike, leading her to break it due to the impact.

"U-Ugh…" Natalie lies on the ground unconscious, barely moving her body.

 _No enemy shall know about Force Shatter's weakness. NONE!_ Sheer thinks to himself, rage still burning within him but able to think normally again. He then looks inside of his broken dresser and takes out another rope.

"I better hope that no one else notices this, because this is my last rope…" Natalie could hear the still apparent anger within Sheer's voice. He sighs and goes to tie up Natalie, having her forelegs be unable to move. After unlocking the closet, he opens it and tosses Natalie inside of the closet with Exo. Sheer then sees that Exo is beginning to wake up and sweatdrops. "Oh bucket of icicles…"

"Hmm? Huh!?" Exo says before looking at Natalie and then at Sheer. He soon screams, "HELP! SOMEBODY HEL-"

Sheer interrupts him by slamming the closet door immediately, locking it. All Sheer could hear are muffling noises as he sighs stressfully. "Something tells me that I should had put some cloths in their mouths…" Sheer says to himself before hearing a knock on his door.

"Hey Sheer, are you alright in there!?" A male voice says in a worried tone.

Sheer jumps, recognizing the familiar voice. "Great. Now I REALLY wished that I covered their mouths with some cloths! U-Uh…" Sheer then screams and yells as he floats towards the door, opening it. He sees Mat in front of him while he continues his screaming banter. "OH HI, MAT!"

Mat raises his brow at Sheer, looking at him strangely. "Uh...you okay there, pal? I heard noises and-"

"OH THAT'S ME JUST BEING EXCITED TO START A FRESH NEW DAY IN THE KINGDOM, TOMORROW! JUST SO ECSTATIC, YOU KNOW!?"

"Uh...it'll be just like every other day we have at the kingdom. No need to get too excited about a new day happening tomorrow, buddy." Mat blinks.

"I DON'T CARE! I JUST NEED TO EXCITE MYSELF SO THAT TOMORROW CAN BE WORTH IT FOR ME!" Sheer sighs happily. "NOW LEAVE PLEASE! I'M TRYING TO WITNESS THE AMOUNT OF JOY I WANT TO MUSTER AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!" He then slams the door in front of Mat's face, continuing his screams and yells.

Mat looks at the door with a 'What the heck?' expression as he sweatdrops. "Yeaaah...and I'm the one doing the immature acts at times." He says in a sarcastic manner before heading off to his room.

Sheer's screams slowly starts turning into a laugh as he looks up at the ceiling in satisfaction, the closet continuing its muffling noises. And while the setting cuts to black, Sheer's laughter echoes for a brief moment before fading away.

. . .

The next day has arrived; The sun shining its rays towards the Zero Forest, including its deep part. Within the deep part, Zeke and Jimmy are munching on some berries they found from one of the trees. They were three different types of berries: The blue orange-shaped Oran, the citron-shaped Sitrus, and the plum-shaped Lum. Sitting down on a small hill nearby the two is Cerise, who's looking at the dim light stretching through the trees.

 _Hmm...knowing that I can change my appearance now, I do wonder…_ Cerise looks down at his paw, glancing at it. _If this'll further aid me in finding out who I am_. The canine then takes his eyes onto the two Pokemon, seeing them finishing their meals. "Are you two ready?"

The two look at Cerise and nod. "You bet your sweet Icy Supreme that we are!" Zeke says confidently, standing firm in front of the canine. "It's time to save this kingdom!"

"And rescue our friends!" Jimmy follows along.

Cerise smiles at the two and stands on all fours. "Alright then." Cerise lifts his chin up while Jimmy cracks his knuckles and Zeke gets in a battle stance, shifting left to right repeatedly. " _Let's do this_."

 _End of Chapter 17._


	19. Chapter 18

_**Author's note: Salutations, fellow readers. A new chapter of MM has arrived and now the pieces are beginning to come together within this arc. I hope that you guys enjoyed your Thanksgiving break and is ready to enjoy your potential Christmas break, too! Not much I can say about this chapter other than it containing quite some intense scenes and being as long as Chapter 4. With that being said, enjoy. And as always, let me know what you think about it!**_

* * *

 **Chapter 18: The Truth and the Escape Part 1.**

 _Cloyster Kingdom Arc._

Her breath exhales in a dreadful tone. Her eyes slowly open to see nothing but blurriness. Or as she would like to describe it as, 'waking up to another day in chaos'. These are no other than Iris' thoughts forming throughout her head as she hears a male voice telling her to wake up. "Ugh…" She says, gradually rubbing her eyes. She then looks up to see the voice coming from a Cloyster guard, her leaning against the wall sleepily. She notices about five other guards trying to wake the rest of the gang up as well, them opening the cells for the Pokemon. Two of them enter Mark's cell, two of the others enter Anna's cell, and the fifth guard enters Trent's cell.

While paying attention to everything, she notices that something's not right about the crew, especially Anna, Mark, and Claire. "Hmm?" She looks at them curiously, fully becoming awake now. Anna and Mark look tired, their eyes being half-closed while Claire seems infuriated and growls at the guards.

"Where's mistress!?" The Shinx shouts, demanding them to answer. Anna and Mark groan in a tired yet gloomy manner.

"Yeah...Where's Natalie?" Mark asks in a sorrow tone, almost as if his body has been completely drained. One of the guards looks at him and shakes his head.

"If you're referring to the Zorua, she'd probably escaped while the guards were after her." The guard says.

Claire's eyes widen and glance at the guard. "Escaped!? Mistress didn't escape! She's still here!" Claire yells, scratching the ground rapidly.

Ashen raises his brow at the Shinx. "Uh…?" He says, confused by the Shinx's action.

"I can sense her presence here! And she's in trouble!" Claire scratches the ground more quickly as the gang gasps.

"I-In trouble!?" Mark asks, slowly beginning to feel paranoid.

"Yes! Her presence doesn't feel close to good _at all_! So I have to go rescue her!" Claire then tries to dash out of the cell.

"What the!? Hey!" The first guard says before he and the second guard get in Claire's way, preventing her from escaping. " _We_ lead you out. Not you, you crazy 'presence-sensing' Shinx."

"Grr. GAH!" Claire launches up in the air and claws at the first guard's face, leading him to yelp in pain before landing onto the ground. "I frankly don't care, you annoying mortals!" She then takes off running. "MISTRESS!"

The first guard looks down at the ground, noticing blood landing onto it. Three scratch marks appear on his face as he grits his teeth in anger. "Grr. That little rascal of a Shinx!" The guard yells, immediately turning around and chasing after the Shinx. The second guard follows and the two slam Claire to the ground, pinning her down.

Claire whimpers and struggles to get out of their grasp. "Let me go right now!"

"No!" The second guard says before he and the first guard throw Claire back into the cell. Claire's back hits against the wall, causing her to gasp.

"Claire!" Anna shouts, her eyes becoming wide open in terror. She tries to escape herself but the guards in her cell prevent her from doing so. She grits her teeth into frustration. _D-Dammit._

The second guard looks at the first, his face beginning to form an uncomfortable expression. "Holy crap!" He says, sweatdropping. The first guard looks back, pinning Claire against the wall with his spear.

"What?" The first asks.

"U-Um, your face...Seems like that Shinx must had cut it real deep."

The second is right about the face being cut deep: The three scratch marks are all lined up beside each other symmetrically, blood dripping down quickly from each one of them and lands onto the ground. The first notices this by looking at the ground and seeing blood forming into a small red pond. The guard then looks at Claire, glancing at her. "Say...before we take them outside, let's beat the crap out of this Shinx."

The second guard nods. "Alright."

The first guard smacks Claire with his spear, having her fall onto the ground. "Gah!" Claire yelps before being hit by the second guard's spear. The spear cuts the side of her body, leaving her to screech in pain. This leads to the guards repeatedly hitting her with their Weapon Mischiefs.

"Hey! Stop hurting her!" Mark shouts, running towards the second guard and hitting him with his fist.

Due to having a outer shell, the guard isn't harmed by the punches but more so feels annoyed. He glances at the Riolu. "Stay out of the way or you'll be next!" The guard exclaims before pushing the Riolu against the bars harshly. Mark slams against them, whimpering from the amount of pain he feels from hitting the iron.

"MARK!" Anna yells, frustration and fear streaming throughout her body. Ashen looks at the two guards in front of him and tries pushing through them.

"Move out of the way!" Ashen exclaims, trying to shove the two guards aside.

"Like hell we would!" The third guard says, pushing Ashen back with his spear. Soon, the whole gang tries to force their way out: Iris pushes the guard in front of her aside, Trent grabs one guard's shell and pins him against the wall, and Anna, Ashen and Lucas try shoving against the guards as well.

Norah and Brook back away from the violence going on. "Get behind us, Azure dear." Norah tells her daughter as the Shellder nods and gets behind the two Cloysters. The guards then decide to pin everyone against the wall with their spears. The gang are restrained from the Mischiefs, all grunting during so.

Iris looks at Claire's cell and sees her still being hit by the spears, gritting her teeth into frustration. _Shit...If what Claire said about Natalie is true, then we really need to go find her and get out as fast as possible. This…_ She stares in terror at the menacing swings from the spears the guards are giving to Claire. _IS GOING TOO FAR!_

. . .

Broad daylight shines at the guards and the prisoners within the Zero Forest. The guards continue patrolling the area while the prisoners are on the hunt for rare items. Hidden in the bushes nearing the dark part of the forest are Cerise, Jimmy and Zeke. The three poke their heads out of the bush and scan around the area, being aware of its surroundings. They see a pathway containing two guards roaming by one tree, one commanding the prisoner by the tree furthest from the first, and another two chatting with each other in the middle.

Cerise looks at Jimmy and Zeke, tilting his head slightly. "Despite us stealthing our way through here, we may attract attention as soon as we've reached the exit." He says firmly. "Get ready to run for the castle when that happens."

Jimmy and Zeke nod. "Got it." They both say, turning their attention towards the guards. Cerise looks at the guards as well, concentrating on the two that are roaming. Without warning, he dashes towards the two, leaving Jimmy and Zeke to shield their faces from the strong winds generated by his speed.

"Whoa!" Jimmy says, noticing the numerous of leafs flinging off from the bush thanks to Cerise. The two then see the canine launching up in the air and collides the guards against each other with his paws. The guards hit against their inner shells hard enough to knock themselves out, falling to the ground during the process. Cerise lands onto the ground and looks at the two Pokemon behind him, tilting his head towards the guard commanding the prisoner.

The two look at the Cloyster guard whipping the prisoner furiously with his brown whip, rage spreading throughout his face. "I SAID KEEP GOING!" The guard shouts, the prisoner whimpering to the amount of pain she has to endure. Jimmy and Zeke look at each other, nod and run towards the guard. The guard stops whipping and sees the two. "Huh?" Before he could do anything else, Jimmy punches the side of the guard's shell, causing it to crack. The guard then crashes against the tree and gets hit by a multicolored beam, causing the tree to break and collapse onto him. The guard is knocked out.

Jimmy sees the beam attack and blinks curiously, looking beside him to see Zeke's horn stop forming a multicolored orb at its tip: Aurora Beam. Zeke smirks at the Heracross before floating towards the prisoner. The female Cloyster weakly looks up at Zeke, backing away slowly in fear. "Don't worry, lady. We're not guards." Zeke says confidently, smiling at the prisoner to let her know that she's okay. The prisoner blinks and looks at Zeke and Jimmy, still unsure if she should trust them.

"If we were real guards, we wouldn't be disobeying the king's orders by doing this." Jimmy elaborates, stretching his arms. The prisoner continues staring at them for a moment before she nods and floats close to the two. "That's more like it! Now stick close to us, fellow citizen. We'll get you out of here, alright?" Jimmy smiles at the prisoner. The prisoner nods quietly. Zeke and Jimmy then notice Cerise dashing past them immediately. "Oh right! Let's go!"

The three follow the canine, seeing the two middle road guards up ahead. "By the way, did you hear something crashing earlier?" The first guard asks the second. The second shrugs, having some toothpick in his mouth.

"Nah, must be our imagination or something." The second answers.

"Oh. Well back to what I was saying: Mat is the greatest senator ever! Like, he has more humor than Sheer, knows how to take it easy in serious situations, and didn't I mention his brilliant humor?" The guard squeals a bit, having the second raising his brow at him. "I just wish to be as humorous and amazing as he is!"

"Huh. Someone is being quite the fanboy of Senator Mat."

"I know! He's just that amazing to me, dude!" The first guard sighs in relief before blinking in confusion. "Hmm?"

"What is it?" The second looks at the first in a concerning manner.

"Is it me or am I hearing fast footsteps approaching u-"

The Cloyster is then interrupted by Cerise's Dragon Pulse, the multicolored-dragon shaped beam causing the Cloyster and the second to get blown away by the attack. "Ah!" Both of them scream, the two landing into the bushes separately.

"Sorry fellas. Got friends to save here." Cerise says calmly as he keeps running within a fast pace.

Jimmy and Zeke pant heavily while following the canine. "Wait for us, dude!" Zeke shouts, trying to catch up with Cerise. "Also, that attack was pretty cool!" The Cloyster smiles at Cerise.

Cerise nods. "Thanks." He says before continuing to run. He soon comes across a bunch of trees and bushes leading up to the wide area of the forest. He stops and hides behind a tree, seeing about two guards patrolling the black gate within the open area. He also sees about three more roaming around the area as well. Jimmy, Zeke and the prisoner manage to catch up with Cerise. Cerise turns to look at them, having his brow raised at the prisoner.

"She's harmless. No worries." Zeke says, the prisoner clinging close to him.

"Hmm. Alright then." Cerise nods before turning his attention towards the guards, glancing at the gate. "We're at the gate so you two remember what I told you, right?"

"Yeah. Head for the castle, right?"

"Exactly." Cerise then dashes out in the opening, heading towards the gate as the three Pokemon follow along.

One of the guards stops within his tracks, seeing the four Pokemon heading into his direction. "What the-" He is then interrupted by Cerise's Dragon Pulse, him and the other two guards being blown back by the Dragon type attack. After the three land on the ground, far from the four Pokemon, the two guards by the gate wield out their spears instantly. Cerise glances at the two, his body beginning to be surrounded by light-green outline as he runs faster than before: Extreme Speed.

The two guards try to block the pathway for Cerise but the canine bursts through them, causing the two to fly off to the side and crash into the bushes. He also breaks through the gate, having it spread wide open. Jimmy and the other two have their eyes widened at the impact, with Zeke being the only one having his jaw drop. "Holy crud, that was amazing!" Zeke says in a surprised tone. He looks at Jimmy, tapping on his shoulder constantly. "Did you see what your friend did? He just rammed right into those two guards like they were curtains and kept on running!" The Cloyster chuckles. "And I thought his other attack was cool. This one takes the cake by a long shot."

Jimmy blinks at the dashing canine, tilting his head a bit. "Huh...with the amount of speed Cerise used to blow those guys away, that must be Extreme Speed." Jimmy says, following the canine along with the other two. "In fact, the move he used on the other guards before was Dragon Pulse…" _Hmm..._

"I believe the noises are coming from the gate!" A male voice shouts, seeming to be coming from afar.

Zeke hears the voice and yelps. "YIKES! The guards are heading this way! Let's pick up the pace, you two!"

Jimmy looks at Zeke and nods, him and the two Pokemon exiting out of the Zero Forest. The three run on the linear pathway for a moment until they see Cerise sitting there, staring up at the white castle. The three head towards him, the canine continues to stare at the castle as he speaks. "You can let the prisoner go here. I already checked Ster Town's gate and no guards are guarding it as of yet." Cerise says in a calm manner.

Zeke looks at the prisoner and nods. "Gotcha, cool dude." Zeke says, guiding the female Cloyster on another pathway. "Follow me, lady. I'll lead you to safety." The Cloyster nods softly and follows the male Cloyster. While that happens, Jimmy gets besides Cerise and stares at the castle.

"Say Cerise, I saw you used two Pokemon moves earlier." Jimmy says to the canine.

Cerise slightly looks at the Heracross. "Yes? What about them?"

"Well I noticed that you are using those moves in general...meaning that you are indeed a Pokemon. Right?" The Heracross has his eyes turn to Cerise.

Cerise becomes quiet for a moment, lifting his paw up and looking at it. "Yeah...at least I'm aware of that now."

"Hmm, the question is though," Jimmy puts his nail against his chin, thinking. "Why couldn't you use these moves before when you were in that blob appearance?"

Cerise looks up at the castle in surprise. "Huh. That's an interesting question, Jimmy: During the fight with the Grant Crusaders, I couldn't defend myself while in that appearance. I'm not exactly sure why. I just had a feeling that I couldn't...And when I changed into this canine-like...form, I should say?" Cerise closes his eyes. "It's like I suddenly remembered how to use my Pokemon moves, as you so called it."

"I see." Jimmy takes his eyes back onto the castle as Zeke returns back to the two.

"Anyway, let's go save Iris and the others." Cerise suggests.

Jimmy nods. "Right."

The three then head off on a road towards the castle with Cerise being the lead. The canine glances at the castle while thinking, _What matters most, however, is me finding out who I am after all of this is over_.

. . .

Inside of the castle is a hallway containing Mat, Sheer and Cocoon having a conversation with each other. Mat and Sheer are besides the king: Mat on the right and Sheer on the left. They pass by some decorations and Cloyster portraits during the chatting.

"I mean, your highness, the future of this kingdom could go downhill because of the changes you made here." Mat says in a worried tone.

Cocoon looks at Mat. "Well so far, no one in town seems to be making that complaint to me. Therefore, everyone is okay with the changes, right?" Cocoon replies calmly.

Mat shakes his head. "I wouldn't exactly think that, honestly. Because that likely means they're _afraid_ to tell you the complaints due to the amount of folks you tossed in prison and executed. Admittedly, the 10 folks that got executed were bad Pokemon in general. But the folks beyond those numbers...have questionable executions. If even, close to not being right either." Mat shrugs.

The king sighs. "Those folks did bad deeds in my kingdom. They deserved to be punished. Rather through death or imprisonment…" Cocoon blinks, stopping for a moment to look up confusedly. "Though, imprisonment does sorta count as death, huh?" Cocoon shrugs and continues floating. "You understand what I'm trying to convey."

"I mean, those 20 others were executed for going against your strict and unnecessary rules, sir. They don't deserve that punishment because...it is true." Cocoon glances at the Cloyster as he continue speaking. "These rules harmed your citizens and their environment. Just take a look at Cloy Town, for an example."

Sheer then jumps into the conversation. "I'm sorry but I would like to disagree with you on that, Senator Mat." Sheer says humbly. "Those folks that the king executed deserved to be punished because of them disobeying simple rules. And also of them being jealous of the king."

Cocoon nods. "Precisely, Sheer."

"And about Cloy Town, don't they have an mayor patrolling that town or something?"

Mat looks at the two, raising his brows at them with a 'What the heck?' expression. "What?" He says confusedly. "Firstly, those rules aren't anywhere _close_ to being simple. Secondly, I never said anything about the executed folks being jealous of the king. Nor the folks who are alive, too. And lastly, _there's no mayor patrolling Cloy Town_. Mainly due to the king watching over both it and Ster Town!"

Cocoon tilts his head at Mat curiously. "Really?"

Mat sweatdrops while giving him another 'what the heck' look. "Yes! You're the ruler of both towns because they're a part of the Cloyster Kingdom, remember?"

"..." Cocoon remains quiet for a moment before coming into a realization. "Oooh right. Cloy Town. And you say the town isn't doing so well, right?"

Mat nods. "Yes."

"Well then, I'll fix that issue whenever I get the time to. Gonna lower the pricing range for the stores from two thousand and twenty-five pokedollars to two thousand and twenty-four in Cloy Town."

Mat frowns. "Are you insane? That doesn't help that town _at all_! You only decreased the pricing range by _one_ , what difference does that make?!"

Sheer laughs humbly. "Why yes but it still counts as a difference, right?" Sheer says.

Mat glances at the large barbed Cloyster. "That's just _barely_ a difference and you know it, 'Senator' _Sheer_! In fact, that might as well not be a difference considering how much the town is struggling already!"

"What would a joker like you even know about how to 'fix' the kingdom?"

Mat gets in front of Cocoon, facing up close to Sheer. "Who are you calling a joker, asshole?"

Sheer glares back at Mat. "You, you useless waste of a Senator. You always like to joke around and think that this job is nothing but fun and games." Sheer then leans closer to Mat, whispering. "Hence why you didn't receive the _King's Respect Badge_. You're nothing but a joke to him and everyone else."

Mat grits his teeth in anger, his eyes widening in pure rage. "Don't you _dare taunt me_!" Then he tries to swing his black spear at Sheer, who grins and dodges it. Mat then tries again and Sheer dodges once more. Mat repeats the swinging over and over while the king watches in shock.

"Hey hey now. No need for you to fight Senator Sheer, Senator Mat." Cocoon says worriedly. Mat continues to swing his spear at Sheer as the large barbed Cloyster laughs. The shiny Cloyster frowns and slams his staff towards the ground. "I demand you to stop this nonsense, now!" The two stop, taking their attention onto Cocoon. "Now then, I wanted to say that I'm doing the best I can to protect and secure this kingdom of mine."

The three soon comes across a big window at the end of the hallway. The window showcases a view of Ster Town from above, allowing them to see the town and the pathways as well. Cocoon floats in front of the two and stares down at the town with a stern look on his face, like a general commanding his troops to go into the enemy's base. "I know what I'm doing and I know what's right for the kingdom. Rest assured though, that everything is doing fine." Cocoon says before turning towards the two. "Alright?"

Mat blinks and becomes silent for a moment, staring back at the king with a raised brow. He then lets out a sigh and floats next to him, looking out of the window himself. "Yes sir." He says before shaking his head.

Sheer floats next to Cocoon as well. "Affirmative." Sheer replies with a smile. Then soon, the three direct their eyes down onto three figures heading to the castle. "What in the…?" Soon, the figures are no longer in their view due to that being as far as they can look down from the window. Sheer then looks at the two Cloysters. "Who in the world are they?"

"I...don't really know." Cocoon answers, feeling uneasy. "Something's not right after seeing those three."

After that, an explosion noise occurred from below the castle. The three become alerted by the explosion and look out of the window, seeing black smoke coming from the bottom of the castle. "What the heck was that!?" Mat shouts, eyes widening at the impact.

Cocoon shakes his head. "I don't know but I know that it doesn't sound good."

Soon, a male voice can be heard from behind the three. "King Cocoon!" The male voice shouts, catching the three's attention. They look to see a male guard panting heavily before eyeing at them. "My king, intruders are infiltrating the castle!"

Cocoon forms a stern look on his face while looking off to the side. "I see. Those intruders must be those three figures we saw just now." Cocoon says to himself. He then looks back at the guard. "Lead me towards the intruders."

"Yes, your highness!" The guard turns around and floats away. Cocoon, Mat and Sheer follow the Cloyster, Mat being close to the shiny Cloyster during so.

"What about me and Sheer, sir? Do we follow you, too?" Mat asks, being quite concerned about the situation.

Cocoon looks at Mat slightly. "You and Sheer go find Exo for me, please." Sheer hears the word 'Exo' and sweatdrops, anxiety beginning to form throughout his body as he looks at the two. "I haven't seen him around the castle since yesterday."

Mat looks up, thinking for a moment. "Yeah, you're right. He's probably sleeping in his room, dreaming about being on a date with some ladies or something." Mat chuckles.

"This is no time for jokes, Mat." Cocoon exclaims, seeing the guard turning to his right and heading downstairs.

"Y-Yeah…" Sheer agrees, his voice cracking shortly after.

Mat raises his brow at Sheer's voice crack. "Uh...sure, king." Mat says. Cocoon nods and follows the guard downstairs. Mat and Sheer remain in the hallway and look around. "Now then, time to find that silly Cloyster..." As Mat searches around, opening Exo's bedroom first, Sheer looks at the bedroom with a grim expression before floating off.

Meanwhile in the center of the castle, Jimmy punches a guard in front of him. The guard gets blown away by him and slams against the wall, knocked out. Cerise and Zeke are beside the Heracross as they look around their surroundings. Cerise takes his eyes towards the dining room entrance hallway and the stairs.

"More guards will be on their way here shortly." Cerise says firmly. He looks at the hallway that leads to the dungeon area, letting his leash point at that direction. "If I recall correctly, Iris and the others are imprisoned there, right?"

Jimmy looks at the direction and nods. "Yep. You pinpoint it exactly, my friend." Jimmy says in a heroic tone. He then puts his hands by his hips, looking up at the ceiling. "FEAR NOT, FELLOW COMPANIONS! THE HEROIC JIMSTER, THE TRANSFORMING CERISORY, AND THE SPARKLING ZEKSTON ARE HERE TO RESCUE YOU!"

Cerise and Zeke sweatdrop at what the Heracross said, slowly looking at him with an embarrassed expression. "Um, what?" Cerise says confusedly.

"Sparkling Zekston? Really? Is that's the best you can think of?" Zeke says, raising his brow at Jimmy.

"Heh heh heh…" Jimmy laughs nervously, scratching the back of his head. "At least the name I gave to myself is better than the name those folks in the Noctis Forest gave me: The Incredible Vermin."

Zeke blinks in surprise. "What!? Incredible Vermin sounds miles better."

Jimmy whines. "But that's an insult to Bug types! The word 'Vermin', I meant."

"Well replace the word 'Heroic' with 'Incredible' for Jimster then, at least."

Cerise sighs. "Guys, this is no time to be chatting about nicknames. Let's go help the others, please." Cerise says calmly.

Jimmy nods and says, "Right.". Then the three head off into the hallway, moving as fast as they possibly can. As they leave the center, a bunch of guards appear from the other hallway and the stairs.

"Huh? Where did the intruders go?" One of the guard asks.

The other guard shrugs. "I don't know. We should spread out to go find them, if that's the case." The other guard says. All of the guards nod at each other and go in separate directions: Some go into the hallway where they just came from, some go into the hallway Cerise and the others went down.

. . .

Back at the dungeon area, the two guards in Claire's cell stop hitting her with their spears. The crew all watch from their cells in terror, speechless to see their friend getting beaten so badly. "Phew...that's enough of teaching this Shinx a lesson. My rage is all gone and relieved, now." The first guard says, sighing in relief.

Claire's body is covered in cut marks all over the place: From her face to her lower part of her body. Blood is leaking from each any every one of the marks, slowly sliding off from her body and landing onto the ground as if they were rain drops. "U-Ugh…" Claire says weakly, her voice sounding raspy as she could barely move.

The guard looks at Claire, eyes widening. "Holy crap! We must had bruised her up real badly!"

The second guard nods. "Yeah, definitely." The second says in a surprised tone.

"Cl-Claire." Mark says, showing a grim look on his face as he strokes the ground in frustration.

Anna grits her teeth and looks at the guard that's pinning her. "Hey, didn't I hear some noise coming from outside of this dungeon?" She asks boldly. Norah looks at her curiously and thinks thoughtfully.

"Yeah...I recall hearing something while you guards are too busy going against our wills and beating up a child." Norah says, frowning at the guards along the way.

The first guard looks at Norah and chuckles. "Heh, you and that Ninetales lady must be hearing things or something." The guard says.

Norah gasps as if she's being insulted. "Why I never trip with myself, dear sir. I know what I heard and so did the Ninetales."

"Yes! Now let us see what's going on!" Anna agrees with Norah, snarling at the guard in front of her.

The scratch mark guard glances at Anna in her cell, shaking his head. "You two ladies forget that _we_ let you out of the cells, not _you_. So no, you may not see what is going on there." The guard says, leaning his spear against his shell gently. "Alright boys, we can escort them out with no problems whatsoever." The guards nod and try forcing the gang out of their cell. All of them, even Trent, are close to being out until they hear Claire's grunts. Her grunts are loud yet...off. Eerie and paranormal, to be exact. The scratch mark guard and the second look at the Shinx, the second holding Mark captive during so. "Oh what now!?"

"How...are you in charge of letting us out of our cells...if you're going to lead us out either way…?" Claire says, spitting out blood onto the ground as she weakly gets up. The ground underneath her is becoming the color red as the cut marks she received begin to glow crimson red. Red electricity begins to form throughout her body, making crackle noises as she looks up at the two guards in pure rage.

The two guards stare at the Shinx's yellow eyes slowly becoming pure black, including her irises. "Uh...Is it me or is that not normal for a Shinx's eyes to turn like...that…?" The scratch mark guard says, sweatdropping.

"It...makes...no…" Claire then lets out a menacing roar. The type of roar that has a sound of a distorted, terrifying monstrous tone to it as she releases a huge Discharge attack towards the two guards. "SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENSE!"

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" The guards are hit by the attack, Mark being dropped from the second guard due to the impact and backs up against the bars immediately. The Riolu watches the attack with wide eyes, feeling quite stunned by what he's witnessing. The two burst through Trent's cell and hit the fifth guard, causing him to receive the same amount of damage from the massive electric attack. The three collide against the wall and scream in pure suffering, their faces slowly begins to melt during so. Trent's eyes widen at the attack along with everyone else.

 _What. The. Hell?_ Iris thinks, staring at the attack in shock. Norah, her family and the other three guards stare at the attack in horror. All of them are shaking constantly as they watch, especially the three guards.

"Oh gosh, this...this is…" Norah pauses for a moment to look at her daughter. "Look away Azure! Please!" Azure stares at the terrifying electrical madness before hugging her mother, looking away.

Soon Claire stops the attack, her Discharge slowly fading away while the three Cloysters become nothing but burnt shells. The shells themselves drop to the ground, landing onto the black and reddish pool underneath it. The Shinx walks out of the cell slowly but menacingly, as if she were a serial killer herself. She stops and stares at the two cells that contains the two guards in it, her eyes remaining black and her body continuing to glow crimson red. "Anyone else wants to join them in the afterlife?" Claire says in a eerie, little girl voice.

The third guard in Anna's cell begins to cry, a noise able to be heard coming from his inner shell. "I want my mommy!" He whines, tears raining down from his eyes like a waterfall. Ashen then realizes that he felt something touching onto his arm from the third guard. He lifts his arm up and sniffs it, forming a disgusted look on his face.

"Dude...did you just...?" Ashen says, raising his brow at the guard. This leads to everyone, except for Claire, saying 'Ew' and forming a disturbed look on their faces.

"Alright. I've seen enough." Iris exclaims before punching the guard (that's in her cell) in the face, leading him to burst through the cell's door and lands onto the ground knocked out. Then Anna and Ashen fight back: Anna jumps in the air and spins her body around to smack the fourth guard with her tails while Ashen slashes the third guard in the face. The two guards back away, groaning at the action being performed as Lucas gets in front of them. He lays down on his back.

"Hmm?" Anna says, looking at him curiously.

Lucas grins and slams his tail down in front of him, launching himself in the air with a singly frontflip towards the two guards. In between launching himself and reaching the guards, he performs a backflip and begins another. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Lucas shouts before kicking the two guards, finishing the second backflip and performing a third afterwards to land on the ground. The guards move further away from Anna and the other two due to the kick and collide against the other guard drastically. The two then fall to the ground and pass out. Everyone then exits out of their cells safely, with Lucas having a confident look on his face. "Now that's what I call: Smooth Prison Break."

Mark sighs in relief and closes his eyes while Anna sweatdrops and looks at the eye-patched Furret. "Um, firstly, that break wasn't smooth at all. We just saw a Shinx annihilate three Cloysters brutally and violently with her flipping Discharge... _with no remorse at all_." Anna says, shrugging uneasily. "And secondly, how did you do that?"

"Oh you mean the break?"

Anna rolls her eyes. "No, the launching thing that you just did, silly."

"Oooh, that. I believe that I'd been practicing on launching myself from my tail since I was a Sentret." The Furret looks at the Ninetales and winks with a smirk. "See? Now you can't say that I'm always the dumb one in the group _since I take pride of my work_." Lucas says that part of the sentence loud enough for Iris to hear. Iris looks at him and just sighs. "I also think of clever jokes _and_ have been thinking up some strategy method all along."

Anna blinks at the Furret before giggling. "Whatever. I can agree with you on the pride part but I'm not so sure about the clever jokes and that 'strategy method' of yours should've happened in those past situations we were in."

"I, erm, um…" Lucas crosses his arms and frowns. "Oh someday, you'll appreciate the things I do for you, mate!"

Anna smiles and shakes her head. "Again, whatever."

Then as Anna and Lucas continue chatting with each other, Norah looks at the two and smiles. "They seem to be getting along swell, huh Iris?" Norah says, looking at the Dragonite. Iris sees her friends conversing happily with each other, looking down at the ground.

"Yeah...I suppose you're right about that…" Iris says in a sorrowful tone. Brook notices the look on her face and floats towards her.

"Is something wrong?" Brook asks, curiosity forming throughout his face. Iris looks at him and shakes her head.

"It's...nothing, really." Iris looks to the side.

Brook stares at Iris for a moment before sighing. "It's about that fight you started between you and your friends a few days ago, right?" Iris takes her eyes back onto the old Cloyster, glancing down at him. "If you truly feel sorry for what you did, then tell them. It's okay to admit that you're wrong for causing that situation."

"I know but...it'll seem like I'm lowering my defense to them. I'll look weak to them by apologizing."

Brook shakes his head. "Not that I recalled...You'll only become weak if you treat a situation like this as a win or lose thing. Because there's no winner or loser in a apology. And you'll be a fool for seeing it as such."

Iris thinks for a moment while looking at Anna, Ashen, and Lucas about to converse with Claire. The Shinx talks back with a smile. She stares at them for awhile, thinking about what Brook told her before letting out a huge sigh. "Alright. I'll go apologize to them then." Brook reveals a soft smile at Iris as she walks towards the four.

"I mean, jeez Claire, that attack was as gruesome as my Mixturing Move plus Mythical Power attack." Anna says while smiling nervously.

"Yeah, mate. Was that even the same Discharge attack I saw from you in Verdant?" Lucas asks, scratching the side of his head.

Claire nods. "It is. It's just that it was more powerful than its normal Discharge attack due to me being quite injured." The Shinx says, beginning to pant a bit. "Which I still am, to be honest…"

"Oh. If only there was a way to heal your wounds, Claire…" Ashen says, thinking.

Claire laughs softly. "Even with the healing materials, it's not gonna do enough to heal me, personally. I'll need Natalie's healing powers to heal me instead."

Ashen and the other two look at Claire, a bit freaked out by her calm yet eerie laugh. "Are...you sure…?" Anna asks, raising her brow at the Shinx.

"Precisely. It's the only way that I'll return back to my full strength. Even though that Discharge attack was powerful, it did take a lot out of me and well...further increased my pain." Claire then randomly spits out blood onto the ground, causing the three to back away a bit. Claire shrugs awkwardly. "My sincere apology for that."

Then the four Pokemon see the necklace Dragonite walks towards them, all immediately glancing at her. "What do you want?" Anna says firmly.

"Well, I…" Iris pauses for a moment, poking her tiny nails against each other. "I just wanted to say that I'm-" She is then interrupted by the dungeon door bursting down, everyone taking their attention towards it.

"What the heck?" Trent says, seeing the broken door on the ground. He and the others then notice Jimmy, Zeke and Cerise entering inside of the dungeon with Jimmy having his foot in the air.

"YOUR HERACROSS IN SHINING ARMOR IS HERE!" Jimmy shouts in a heroic yet dramatic tone after putting his foot down.

Iris and the others gasp upon seeing the three. "Jimmy!" The crew shouts, all heading towards the three immediately. Mark's ear flickers from the word 'Jimmy', leading him to open his eyes and see the Heracross.

"Y-You're back!" Mark shouts, getting up himself to join the others.

Zeke looks at the Heracross, raising his brow at him. "Do you have to be _that_ dramatic, pal?" Zeke asks while forming an odd expression.

Jimmy chuckles and scratches the back of his head. "I'm very passionate towards saving others, especially my friends." Jimmy says happily.

Anna, Mark and Lucas walk close to Jimmy eagerly. "Glad to see that you're alive in one piece, mate." Lucas says, smiling.

Mark whimpers. "Yeah...Me and Natalie were so worried about you, Jimmy." Mark states before hugging the Heracross, sniffling melancholy. "We thought that we were going to lose you…"

Jimmy hugs back and nods. "Yeah...thought I was done for too, honestly. It was such a scary and unbearable feeling having to deal with being executed." He shakes his head. "I shouldn't received such a treatment for having to save this fellow Cloyster right here." Jimmy pats Zeke on the shell. "Meet Zeke, everyone."

Zeke bows. "Greetings, you all. It's a pleasure to mee-" He is then interrupted by Claire's disturbing appearance and jumps. "HOLY SWEET JEBUS OF THE HOLY LORD ARCEUS ABOVE, WHAT IS THAT THING!?" Zeke shouts, forming a worried look across his face.

"I'm a Shinx, for one. Two, the name's Claire." Claire answers calmly before raising her voice a tad. "And three, how _dare_ you mention that name around me!?"

Jimmy looks at Claire as well and yelps. "Great Clarity, what happened to you, Claire?" Jimmy asks. "You look so... _not right_."

Claire snarls a bit at the word 'Clarity', causing everyone to shiver a bit. Claire then sighs. "Long story short: I was beaten up badly, powered up my move to eradicate three guards due to my injuries, and now I'm in dire need of mistress' assistance to heal me because as you can see _I am bleeding_." Claire shrugs. "Apology for the blood trail when we escape out of here."

Jimmy notices the blood slowly dripping down from Claire's slash marks, forming a disturbed look on his face. "I see...wait, Natalie's missing?"

"Yes. She thought of a plan to go spy on Sheer and never came back since then…" Anna answers, looking down.

"Indeed. And I sense her presence in trouble." Claire says, growling deeply. "We got to find her before we escape."

"Hmm. Alright then. We shall find our Zorua friend, if that's the case." Jimmy says in a brave tone.

"Right." Claire nods. She and everyone else are about to leave the dungeon until Iris gets in front of everyone.

"Wait wait wait." The Dragonite says.

"What is it, Iris?" Anna asks in a annoyed tone.

"We need to address the Donphan in the room."

Anna sits down and folds her forelegs. "And that is?"

"Well firstly, the rest of us need to introduce ourselves to Zeke here." The gang looks at Iris for a moment and nods. They then introduce themselves to Zeke.

"Alright. Then what?"

Iris points at Cerise, who seems to be standing there calmly. "That thing over there."

Anna looks at Cerise and blinks. "Oh yeah...Who are you, si-" Anna pauses for a moment to have a better look at the canine. "Wait, are you that thing that took Jimmy?"

Cerise nods. "Yes. How do you know?" Cerise asks softly.

"We saw a figure running off with Jimmy yesterday. We weren't exactly sure if it was you or not due to the figure glowing green but you seemed to match that figure's body formation, anyway. Also, a friend of mine thinks that you're Cerise...Please tell me that he's lying." Anna sweatdrops.

"Well Anna, he predicted it correctly: I am Cerise."

"WHAT!?" The whole crew, except for Jimmy, shouts in complete shock. Lucas leaps up in the air excitedly as Anna begins to shake in place.

"Y-You're C-Cerise?" Anna asks again just to clarify. Cerise nods before the Ninetales looks as though she's close to fainting. "Wh-Where have you b-been, dude?"

"Yeah...We were curious to where you'd went since we were imprisoned here." Ashen says with a concerned look on his face.

Cerise looks at the Linoone and sighs. "Well in short: I was trying to figure out a way to save you guys while in my blob appearance. Then when I came across a plan to save Jimmy, I helped him and Zeke escaped by being in this...canine-like form. The idea just so happened to come across my mind during the time and I honestly can't explain how I'm able to do this other than knowing that I can." Cerise nods firmly. "So now me, Jimmy and Zeke are here to rescue you guys."

"Huh...I see. It seems like the more we know about you, the more interesting things we encounter from you, Cerise." Ashen smiles.

Brook blinks at Cerise. "Ah, no wonder why you seemed familiar to me, Cerise." Brook says.

Anna continues to shake in place. "Hahaha, th-that's great. Gl-Glad that we're having a wonderful re-reunion h-here." Anna stutters. Cerise looks at Anna confusedly.

"Um...is something wrong?" Cerise asks the shaky Ninetales.

"SHE LOST THE BET, MATEYS! WOOHOO!" Lucas yells while wrapping his arm around the Ninetales' neck. He then gives Anna a noogie and laughs. "We made a bet on whether or not the glowing figure was you and it was. Meaning I won the bet and she'll have to be nice to me for six days starting now. Heh heh."

Anna whines. "I hate my life right now…"

Cerise blinks and sweatdrops. "Oookay then, um. As much as I'd like to continue this lovely conversation, we need to go." Cerise suggests.

Jimmy nods. "Right." The Heracross replies, forming a fist. The canine looks at him firmly.

"Jimmy, I want you to go retrieve the egg from the other dungeon area while me and the others go find Natalie."

Jimmy nods once more. "You can count on your heroic, I mean, Incredible Jimster."

Anna tilts her head curiously. "Wait, you guys saved the egg?" The Ninetales asks. Cerise nods at her.

"Yes. I managed to save it and had Jimmy and Zeke to keep it hidden in their cell for the time being." Cerise answers calmly.

Anna sighs in relief. "Well at least that's a relief to hear compared to what I'll have to deal with for six days…" Anna looks at Lucas, seeing him form a devious grin on his face before shivering in terror and looking back at Cerise. "Anyway, thank you so very much, Cerise."

Cerise nods softly. "Alright. Let's go." The canine begins to exit out of the area before everyone else follows along.

Claire and Mark being the last ones out as Mark speaks to Claire. "Guess me and Natalie were right about Cerise not betraying us after all, Claire."

Claire sighs. "Didn't say I was right about my prediction, anyway." The Shinx says.

"Riiight." Mark chuckles before the two exit out completely.

. . .

Back at the hallway, Mat and Sheer search all over the place for Exo. Mat exits out of Exo's bedroom, shaking his head. "Jeez, I can't find this guy anywhere in his room. He normally used to be in there a lot and do...whatever Exo does." Mat says, sighing heavily. He then sees Sheer coming from his right. "Found him yet?"

"Nope." Sheer answers sharply. "The darn senator has lost himself, somehow."

"Well when was the last time you seen him, Sheer?"

"I honestly don't quite know, really. How about you? When was the last time you seen him?"

Mat shrugs. "Since the king's feast. Then after that, I haven't seen him since."

"I see."

Mat then looks up at the ceiling, thinking. "Although, I heard that the king sent Senator Exo to your room so that he can deliver that Respect Badge to you." Sheer sweatdrops, shifting a bit awkwardly. "Were you in your room when Exo gave you the badge?"

"U-Um, no. I was outside patrolling the guards in Zero Forest."

"Then how did you get the badge?"

Sheer rolls his eyes. "I returned to my bedroom and grabbed it when I saw it on my bed, obviously."

Mat looks at him. "So you mean to tell me that you didn't see Exo at all when being delivered that badge?"

Sheer glances at Mat, frowning. "If I told you that I was in Zero Forest, then what do you think, genius?"

Mat backs up a bit. "Hey now, I was just clarifying. No need to get all defensive and such."

Sheer shakes his head. "Oh talk to the shell, Mr. 'I think I'll go find Exo on my own', thank you very much." Sheer turns around and floats off.

Mat raises his brow. _Wait, wasn't that the way he just came from…?_ He thinks, concerns forming throughout his head.

"For the meantime, you can return back to the king."

"..." _Okay, first last night with him yelling for literally no reason and now this. Something's not right about him today_. Mat floats towards Sheer, following him as the two turn towards to their left. "Sheer, I have a legit question to ask you: What's up with you lately?"

Sheer blinks confusedly and looks at Mat. "Why Mat, there's nothing wrong with me. I'm just my dear ol' Sheer self, that's all."

"Really? Last that I recalled, Sheer doesn't yell in excitement for a new day in the Cloyster Kingdom like a maniac. Nor would he act defensive when I try to ask him questions." Mat glances at the large barbed Cloyster.

"I mean, I was in a good mood yesterday. And those questions you asked me were ticking me off due to me having to repeat myself to you."

" _Good_ mood? You're always in a high-and-mighty mood, Sheer. So what I saw yesterday wasn't a good mood…" Mat pauses for a moment, stopping within his tracks along with Sheer. "It was more so of a panicky mood."

Sheer gulps silently. "And why would you think that?"

Mat slowly looks at Sheer. "Because if I recall correctly, your face looked terrified and panicky last night...the total opposite of 'being in a good mood'." Sheer grits his teeth slightly. "So I ask you this, Sheer: What's going on with you lately?"

"..."

"...Well?"

The two remain silent for a moment before a loud noise occurs. The two jump from the noise, immediately looking at where the noise is coming from. The noise comes from Sheer's room, black smoke arising from it. _Shoot…_ Sheer thinks, taking his eyes onto Mat now.

Mat looks back. "What the hell was that?" The Cloyster asks. "And why am I seeing smoke coming from your room…?"

"U-Um, it's nothing, really. I tend to, you know, do some lab experiments in my room, Mat. Hehe…" Sheer sweatdrops.

"Sheer."

"Yes?"

"You do realize that we have _no_ science materials in this kingdom whatsoever?"

"..."

"..."

"Please don't investigate my room." Sheer whines.

"..." Mat takes off floating within a second, heading straight towards Sheer's room. Sheer yelps and dashes after the Cloyster. As Mat reaches Sheer's room, he opens the door and gasps. "What in the world of Blizzard!?"

Mat sees the closet doors being against Sheer's bed and Natalie and Exo tied up. Natalie closes her mouth as Exo streams tears from his eyes like waterfall. "Oh thank you so much dear Zorua for using Shadow Ball!" Exo exclaims, whimpering. "The name is Natalie, right?"

"Yeah, Exo. You got my name right." Natalie says, sweatdropping while smiling a bit. Exo then looks over to see Mat by the door, gasping.

"Oh thank goodness you're here, Mat!"

Natalie looks as well. "Ooo. Is he our potential ride on getting out of here?"

"Exo? What the heck is going on!?" Mat says, confusion forming throughout his face.

"I-It's Sheer, sir! He's gone mad. MAD I SAY!"

"I knew there was something up with that guy. Look, I'll get you out of here along with your...Zorua friend over there."

"Hello." Natalie says casually.

Then Exo sees Sheer dashing right behind Mat and screams. "AAAH! MAT, BEHIND YOU!" Exo shouts.

"What?" Mat says before being pushed inside of Sheer's room and brushing against the floor. "Oof!" He then hears the door being closed and instantly gets up to head towards it. He tries to push the door open but couldn't. "Hey! What gives!?" Sheer blocks the door with some furnitures such as a couch or sofa. He goes to grab a nearby table to further block the entrance and sets it on top of the couch. "Let us out, Sheer! Right now!"

"Apologies, Mat. But you pressured me to do this to you. If you had just gone off to join the king like I told you to, then this wouldn't happen." Sheer says with a calm yet sinister tone. "Now if you'll excuse me, I got a plan to complete." He then floats away from the door as Mat continues to bang on it.

"Hey! What do you mean by 'plan'!? Come back here, Sheer! COME BACK!" Mat shouts as Sheer continues to float away, grinning. Sheer then makes it to the stairs and heads down.

. . .

Returning to the hallway, everyone is sprinting away from the dungeon area with Jimmy not being with them for the time being. A couple of guards spot them trying to escape and try to stop them. "Halt, intruders!" One of the guards says, preparing to use his spear. Cerise uses Dragon Pulse on the group of guards, firing his multicolored dragon-shaped beam from his mouth. The attack lands onto the guards, causing them to scream and yelp as they get blown away.

Iris blinks at the attack and looks at Cerise. "You can use Pokemon moves!?" Iris asks, shocked to see this from him.

More guards come by, charging at the group as Cerise nods. "Yes, I can." He says before Claire releases a terrifying roar, using her red Discharge attack to electrified a bunch of Cloyster guards. They all scream in agony as their faces melt and become a bunch of empty shells. The shells drop to the ground as the gang pass by them.

"So why couldn't you use those moves in your previous form?" Ashen joins in, curious about the conversation.

"Well…" After Cerise explains his situation to everyone, they all nod in understanding.

"I see now." Iris says.

"By the way, are we just gonna ignore _that terrifying attack the Shinx did earlier_?" Zeke asks in a concerned manner. Cerise blinks and looks at Zeke.

"What attack again? I probably didn't pay attention." Cerise says.

Zeke looks at Claire, seeing her panting heavily while blood trails behind her. He then sighs and shakes his head. "Never mind."

Iris soon notices a guard trying to hit her with his spear. She grabs the spear and lifts it up, causing the guard to be lifted himself. She then throws the spear to the side along with the guard, causing the guard to crash into a wall face first. "Ooo, that's gotta hurt." She chuckles softly before taking her attention to Anna. She runs next to her, beginning to pant a bit. "Hey Anna...about earlier."

Anna looks at her, blinking. "Hmm?" She says curiously.

"I meant to say that I'm-" Iris receives an interruption by everyone stopping within their tracks, noticing that they all make it to the main center. The problem is though: It's surrounded by a bunch of Cloyster guards. One group is on the right side of the area, another is on the left, and a bunch more are in the middle with Cocoon being their lead.

Cocoon adjusts his crown a bit with his staff and begins to speak. "I see the intruders are trying to escape with some prisoners. Not on my watch." Cocoon says before pointing his staff at the gang. "Seize the intruders and return the prisoners to their cells at once."

The guards nod. "Yes sir." They all say obediently.

Norah shakes her head. "Your highness...please stop this at once." She says a sorrow tone.

Cocoon glimpses at her. "And why should I, troublemaker?" The king asks.

"Because what you're doing is wrong! It's not what suits best for the Cloyster Kingdom. Go outside to witness your errors! Just take a look at how many folks you've frightened under your wrath. And the poor lifestyle my hometown, Cloy Town, is in right now."

"Why those folks aren't afraid of me. They're just jealous of my power as ruler. And about Cloy Town, I'm planning to decrease its pricing just by 1."

Norah raises her brow. "Jealous? JEALOUS!?" The female Cloyster frowns. "That's the most idiotic excuse I'd ever heard. Like anyone under a poor condition and timid fear would be jealous of some damn power!"

"You tell him, girl!" Anna exclaims, rooting for Norah.

"And about the price decreasing by 1? You must've been dropped on your head fifty times before thinking _that_ will improve our lifestyle condition."

"Oh she just got you there on that one, king! YIKES!" Zeke says, snickering.

Cocoon raises his brow at the gang. "Why I never! How dare you oppose the king's rules!?" Cocoon says, slamming his staff down.

Norah stands up tall. "I only oppose the rules when they are deemed unfair and cruel."

"That's because life _is_ unfair and cruel, you blinded commoner." A familiar male voice says, coming from behind the king. Cocoon turns around to see Sheer floating towards him. "Mat told me to come help you, since he wanted to search for Exo himself."

"Ah, I see. You're just in time, too." Cocoon says before turning towards the gang. "Because we're just about ready to take them away by force."

Sheer looks at Trent and smirks. "I see."

The gang all prepare themselves, all except for Norah and her family, getting into their battle position. The guards ready their spears as Sheer and Cocoon gaze at the gang. "Shit...Since Sheer is involved, this fight won't be so easy. In fact, it's far from it now." Iris says, gritting her teeth into frustration. "Get behind us, Norah. You too, Brook and Azure." Norah nods as she and her family get behind the gang.

Anna snarls, glaring at the guards. "Just be ready to stay focused, everyone." Anna says sternly.

Mark nods. "Even without my Weapon Mischief, I can still try to fight." The Riolu says confidently.

Ashen and Lucas form glowing white claws from their paws, ready to use their Fury Swipes at any moment. "Alright, mate." Lucas says in a stern tone. "Bring it on!"

 _To be continued…_

 _End of Chapter 18._


	20. Chapter 19

**_Author's notes: Oh boy, ladies and gentlemen. This chapter is the long and awaited build up for the final chapter of MM's first arc. Within this chapter contains a twist that 'maybe' some of you had already spotted by now but if you haven't, you'll be surprised! As always though, let me know what you think about this chapter and the story as usual. Without further ado, enjoy!_**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: The Truth and the Escape Part 2.**

 _Cloyster Kingdom Arc._

...Everyone stands there for a brief moment, eyes contacting each other in quite the hectic exchange of glances. Iris and Anna glare at Cocoon and Sheer. Sheer and Cocoon scowl back with their brows lowered down to signify the two being prepared.

"Seize them!" Cocoon shouts, pointing his staff towards the gang. The Cloyster guards charge toward them, having their spears out and ready. Iris and the others remain still as they prepare their moves. Then the fight initiates.

A Cloyster guard tries to swing his spear at Iris but she dodges it swiftly. The Dragonite gets beside him and punches him with Fire Punch. The attack sends the guard towards another guard that attempts to harm Trent. As the two collide with each other, Trent jumps on top of the two and launches himself in the air after they pass out. He does a front flip and glides towards two other guards. The two spot him and get slammed into each other by the Lucario's paws, their heads nudge against their inner shells, causing them to get knocked out. He lands on the ground afterwards and jumps up and down slightly, panting a bit aggressively.

"Nice one, Trent!" Iris says before seeing another guard rush towards her and punching him in the face with no problems.

Trent looks at her and nods, smiling. "Thanks! Been practicing a lot with Saya when we were together. She wanted to made sure that she and I know how to defend ourselves." Trent replies before jumping on top of an intruding Cloyster guard, grabbing him by the shell and throwing him towards the wall in front of him. The guard slams against one of the Cloyster portraits and some tables, glass shattering being heard from the impact.

Iris nods. "That's good to know." Trent sighs in relief before smirking, forming a slight red aura around him as he continues the slight jumping and panting. Iris notices the aura and becomes curious, scratching the side of her head. _Huh? Is he powering up some type of move or something?_ She thinks as she grabs a random guard's spear and smacks him with it.

Anna uses Flamethrower on a bunch of guards while Lucas and Ashen slash at the guards with their Fury Swipes. Cerise zooms past multiple of them with Extreme Speed, causing them to get blown away and crash into the wall. Cocoon grits his teeth, seeing his men getting defeated instantaneously. "Sheer, please do something!" He commands, seeing Anna toss one guard in the air with her maw and Ashen leap up in the air to slam the guard to the ground heavily.

"I am, sir. Just give me a moment, now." Sheer says calmly, eyeing the fight. He scans the area for a moment until he directs his eyes towards the Shinx using Discharge on a bunch of guards. The guards are caught into the electrifying attack, all of them screeching in pain as their faces melt. Sheer watches about ten empty shells drop to the ground, raising his brow at Claire while feeling a bit intimidated. He then sees the Shinx dashing towards him, preparing another red Discharge attack. _Jeez, what in the name of Arceus is up with her eyes?_ The large barbed Cloyster thinks, his eyes beginning to glow blue. Claire jumps in the air and unleashes her Discharge attack at the two Cloysters. Cocoon sweatdrops and closes his eyes. Sheer glances at the Shinx, causing the Discharge attack to slowly fade away from Claire.

"Grr." Claire growls as she lands on the ground, gritting her teeth. Cocoon opens his eyes and sees Claire no longer attacking, having his attention be directed towards Sheer.

"Thank you, senator." Cocoon says.

Sheer smirks, turning his glowing eyes towards the others. "You're welcome." He replies before canceling the crew's moves. Anna tries to use Flamethrower on three guards but the flames barely push out of her mouth, causing nothing to come out. Ashen and Lucas try to slash at the two guards in front of them with Fury Swipes but their claws stop glowing and hit the guards' shells with no impact.

"Crap!" Anna and Ashen proclaim, seeing the guards rock their spears towards them. The three Pokemon jump back from the attack, the spears hitting the ground and forming a clashing noise. Anna, Ashen and Lucas has their backs against each other while eyeing at the guards.

Cerise and Zeke try to use their moves on the guards but the canine's Dragon Pulse fades midway from his mouth while the Cloyster's Aurora Beam doesn't form from his horn. "Huh?" The two say confusedly before being pushed by the multiple guards' spears. Iris' attack is being prevented as well, her wings not glowing white for her to use Aerial Ace as she grits her teeth at Sheer.

"Oh damn that move canceling black hole of a shell!" Iris shouts, backing up against Cerise and Zeke. Mark gets besides Iris as well, gulping.

"You know...I would use Force Palm on Sheer if it weren't for his cheap power." Mark says, glancing at the large barbed Cloyster. While this happens, Trent dodges some other guard's spear by doing a backflip, making his way toward Iris before panting heavily.

Cerise looks at the Dragonite in a concerned manner. "Iris, why couldn't I use my move there for a moment?" He questions the crystalline necklace Dragonite.

"Yeah, what gives!?" Zeke joins along.

Iris points her tail towards the large barbed Cloyster. "That guy is your reason why. He has a Mythical Power that allows him to cancel out other Pokemon's moves at will." She explains, turning her paws into fists.

"Ah, I see…" Zeke then looks at Sheer and the guards for a few seconds before immediately turning back towards Iris. "Sorry but what is a Mythical Power?"

"To put it shortly: Rare powers that any Pokemon can potentially be born with."

"O...kay then?" Zeke blinks a bit more confusedly.

"I'll elaborate a bit more on that later. Right now, we're in deep trouble because of that Sheer guy."

Sheer grins, seeing the gang all curled up into one bunch. Cocoon sighs in relief and nods at Sheer with a smile. "Well done, Sheer. You made them feel useless without the use of their moves." The shiny Cloyster says humbly.

Sheer laughs softly and elegantly before speaking. "Now then, you will all either surrender like the good prisoners you are, or face the deadliest consequences that'll potentially lead to your death. Your choice."

Norah frowns furiously. "YOU'LL KILL US EITHER WAY SO WHAT'S THE POINT OF _HAVING_ A CHOICE!?" The female Cloyster shouts, holding her daughter closely.

"Hmm. You got a point there, m'lady." Sheer then looks at the guards and cocks his head to the side. "Go ahead and weaken them."

"Yes sir!" The Cloyster guards say obediently, floating toward the group. Everyone stares at them menacingly, struggling to fight back thanks to Sheer's MP.

. . .

Meanwhile in another dungeon area, Jimmy roams around from one corner to the next within a linear gray hallway. He looks around to make sure that no guards are present. _No sign of guards here yet._ He thinks to himself before continuing to move forward. He eventually comes across a path that leads to the right of the hallway and turns right. After a few minutes of running, he soon comes across the execution cell and rushes towards it. _Bingo!_

The Heracross makes it to the cell, seeing it closed and locked. He then punches the cell door hard enough to make it burst open and crash against the wall, leaving a crack behind it. He sees the wall crumbling bits of concrete as the door slides to the ground slowly, blinking in surprise and stares at his hands. "Wow...I'm that strong…" He says to himself before snickering softly. "Guess I'll have to watch my strength from now on." He walks towards the hay and gets on his knees, digging through them until he sees the Pokemon egg. He grabs the egg and gets up. _Alright. Now it's time to head back to the others._

"Where do you think you're going, Heracross?" A male voice says in a low tone. Jimmy blinks before turning around to see five Cloyster guards being in front of the cell, preventing him from coming out. Jimmy sweatdrops uneasily.

"Okay...the hallway was empty when I was looking around. And when I found this egg, all of a sudden you guys appear?" Jimmy sighs, putting the egg down. "The creator of this story really needs to form a better way of letting this happen instead of 'quiet area to suddenly guards appearing after someone found something' scenario."

The guards raise their brows at the Heracross. "Excuse me, what the hell are you talking about?" One of them asks. Jimmy then dashes towards the guards and grabs one of their spears, slamming it against one guard and throwing it at another. The first guard yelps after being hit by his own spear, nudging against the wall beside him while the second guard ducks from the spear being thrown at him. The third, fourth and fifth guards try to hit Jimmy with their spears at once but the Heracross leans his head back from the attack. The spears almost touch his face before he breaks them all in half with a right hook.

The three guards gulp, sweatdropping at the Heracross. Jimmy smirks and punches the third guard in the face, sending him flying towards another wall as he screams. He then uses Close Combat on the fourth and fifth guards, punching and kicking them all over the place rapidly. This causes their shells to crack as Jimmy grabs the two by the tip of their horns and picks them up. The first and second guard, who still look alive enough to act, both try to form Ice Shards from their horns. But as soon as they try to fire their moves, Jimmy turns around to throw the two guards towards them roughly. The two guards ram into the attacking guards, all ended up crashing hard against the wall during the process. All four of the guards groan in pain before they pass out.

Jimmy brushes himself off and sighs heavily. "It's something that no one, including myself, would understand." He says, answering their question from earlier. He turns his attention towards the cell afterwards and heads back inside, noticing that the egg is no longer present. "Hmm?" He blinks confusedly, scratching the side of his head. "Where did the egg go?" Soon, the dotted egg slowly appears out of thin air only to fade away into nothingness. Then it reappears itself and disappears again. Then it continues the neverending loop of reappearing and disappearing within the same spot. Jimmy tilts his head slightly, staring at the egg in curiosity. "What on Solark is going on with the egg?" He sweatdrops, continuing to watch the egg repeat its constant cycle. He then walks towards it and picks it up, seeing it continue to reappear and disappear in his arms.

"Well then, today got quite weird and bizarre after witnessing that phenomenon." The beetle sighs, shaking his head. "No matter. Time to go meet up with the others!" The Heracross then turns around and rushes out of the execution cell.

. . .

In Sheer's room, Mat seems to be cutting the ropes off from Natalie and Exo with his spike. Natalie sighs in relief while Exo whimpers, having a worried look on his face. Tears are streaming down from the Cloyster's face rapidly.

"Thank you for untying us, Mat!" Exo whines.

"No problem, Exo." Mat replies before snapping the ropes off completely, freeing the Zorua and Cloyster.

Natalie rubs her wrists, sighing happily to her freedom. Exo moves around the room freely, laughing in pure satisfaction. "YES! I'M FREE AT LONG LAST!"

Natalie winces from Exo's shouting, putting her ears down. "Jeez, do you always have to be this loud and dramatic?" The Zorua asks, raising her brow at Exo.

Exo looks at her with a stern look on his face, standing tall in front of her. "You...have no idea on how betrayed I feel. The absolute filth from the bottom of the trash can that no-good senator has thrown at me." The Cloyster leans his face towards Natalie's, making her feel uncomfortable and sweatdrop. "There was nothing but _backstabbing_ during that very moment!"

"Same here, Exo." Mat says, joining in the conversation as he looks at the door. "And it's all because of this plan he has, right?"

"Yes. If I recalled correctly, it should be in his-" Exo is then interrupted by Natalie firing a Shadow Ball at Sheer's first dresser. The dresser is hit by the shadowy ball and breaks apart, materials such as the ink container and quill being spilled on the ground as a result. The container's ink, in particular, splashes all over the ground and spreads throughout the wooden floor. "...dresser."

"You're welcome." Natalie says before revealing her delightful smile. Mat and Exo sweatdrop at the Zorua's action.

"I mean, I could've just...floated to the dresser and grabbed it."

"Nah. Sheer deserves to have his belongings trashed."

The two Cloysters envisage about the slate gray fox's comment before nodding. "Yep, you're right." Mat says, floating towards the broken dresser. "The thing is though, is the plan thingie okay?" Exo scans the dresser for a moment before seeing the paper casually laying down on the ground next to the dresser. He heads towards it and picks it up, flipping it over to see the checklist structure.

"Found it." Exo says sternly. Mat and Natalie direct their attention towards the Cloyster.

"Sweet." Exo hands the plan to Mat, allowing him to read off from the paper. Mat skims through the paper, nodding slightly along the way. "I see...So the last thing he needs to check off the list is kill the king and steal all of his pokedollars."

"Yes! Such a foul and greedy thing to do over pokedollars!"

"Hmm...I don't think he's doing it for greed. Because if he did, then he wouldn't have needed to check off Brisk's death like he did on the list. Something tells me he's doing this for something else...but I'm not sure what that is." Mat tilts his head slightly. "Though I'm not sure why he needs a Mega Stone for his plan, either."

The two Pokemon think for a moment as Natalie looks at the broken dresser to see the blue, reddish symbol Mega Stone on top of the pool of ink. Natalie hums softly and walks towards the stone, picking it up with her paw. "It's mostly cause of a deal he has with someone in this kingdom." Natalie says.

The two Cloysters look at Natalie, seeing the Mega Stone in her possession. "A deal?" Exo says with a puzzled look on his face. Natalie stares back at the two, beckoning her head in response.

"Yeah, a deal. I remember him mentioning such when I was spying on him. He said something about having his every wish granted after he completed the deal with that person."

Mat looks at the paper, glancing at it. "I see." Natalie sets the Mega Stone inside of her black fur and walks towards the bedroom door as Mat continues speaking. "And do you know who that person is, Natalie?"

"Not exactly, but I have a feeling that it _may_ be that person I know of." Natalie opens her maw and forms a Shadow Ball in front of her, flinging it towards the door. The attack bursts the door open, having it and everything behind it crash against the wall roughly. Natalie looks at the two, allowing them to escape the room. "I'll tell you along the way. Right now, let's get out of here and hopefully tell your king about this. If you care about him and the kingdom so much, then he needs to know and fast."

Mat and Exo look at each other for a moment before staring at the Zorua and beckoning their heads. "Right." The two say. The three then rush out of the room with no second thought in mind.

. . .

Returning back to the center area, Iris and the gang are having trouble resisting against the guards: Iris shields herself from two spears attacking her at once, Cerise and Claire both try to push the guards away with their heads, Zeke and Mark attempt to punch the guards with their bare hands (or spikes in Zeke's case), and the other three do the same thing Cerise and Claire are doing. Norah and Brook continue to be behind the gang, holding Azure closely during the process.

"Dammit, if only I were able to use my Flamethrower attack. Damn you, Sheer." Anna pouts.

"Or me using my Discharge to obliterate these moronic mortals." Claire mumbles before suddenly coughs out blood onto the ground. She then winces in pain. "Oh no…" Due to this, one of the guards is able to shove Claire across the room with his spear. Claire rolls around for a bit before a reddish yellow wall stops her, blood trailing along with her. Cerise sees Claire against the wall and grits his teeth.

"Claire!" Cerise yells, not paying attention to the guard in front of him. This leads to him being shoved by the guard as well. "Ugh!" Soon, all the others are easily pushed away by the guards. They end up on the ground and groan uncomfortably, slowly trying to get up.

Iris' arms seem to be dripping red liquid as they land onto the ground, her panting from the spears attacking her. "We...can't do a single thing to these guys. There's too many of them and as much as I wanna use my moves, that damn Cloyster back there is preventing me from doing so!" Iris says, seeing Sheer grinning at her and the group.

"All of you can stop resisting and surrender now. It's never too late to do so." Cocoon says calmly.

"Or have the most pointless death a Pokemon could ever have." Sheer joins in, chuckling softly.

Norah squints her eyes at Sheer, letting Brook have Azure in his possession. Azure and Brook look at her in a concerning manner. "M-Mom?" Azure asks curiously.

"Norah, what are you doing?" Brook asks as well.

"I'm going to show Sheer a thing or two about harming our beloved kingdom!" Norah shouts out of rage. She dashes off without warning, leaving her father to widen his eyes in fear.

"NORAH, NO!"

Iris looks at the female Cloyster curiously. "Hmm?" She says confusedly.

Norah runs past the guards, dodging the spears swinging at her along the way. Some of the spears hit her, but only her outer shell as she keeps going. A guard gets in front of Norah and uses Icicle Crash on her, flinging several icicles he breathes out at her. Norah ducks from the attack and shoves the guard to the side, the icicles attack aiming at the group along the way. Everyone ducks as well, the attack hitting the wall while Norah dashes towards Sheer quickly. "YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE SENATOR AT ALL!" The female Cloyster shouts furiously.

Sheer sees her heading his way and swings his barbed spike at her, stabbing her in the black sphere-like body. She gasps, seeing the spike underneath her mouth. She begins to cough out blood drastically, dripping some from her mouth. The gang has their eyes widened, Brook being the one terrified of what he witnessed. "NORAH!" He screams in a raspy tone.

Sheer shakes his head. "Oh Norah, isn't it? You're such a bold lady to pull off a stunt like this. Instead of surrendering like a good girl... _you decided to resist like a bad girl_." Sheer says before withdrawing his spike and toss her in the air with it, following along afterwards. Then two of his spikes on the side of his shell glow light blue, their length extending slightly while his body forms a light blue aura around him: Razor Shell. He smacks Norah with the move, sending her straight towards the group viciously. "And bad girls deserved to be disciplined!"

Iris gasps, seeing Norah heading towards her. "Shit!" She says, getting in front of the group and catching the female Cloyster. She grunts, her body shifting back a bit from the massive force being pushed onto her.

Sheer then descends down to floating altitude gracefully, Cocoon staring at him in shock. Sheer looks back, tilting his head confusedly as the blood drips from the tip of his barbed spike. "What? I had to do it out of self defense, sir." He says calmly.

Cocoon shrugs before looking back at the group. "Uh...R-Right." He says, his voice sounding a bit shaky. _...Why do I get the feeling that wasn't...right?_ Cocoon thinks while forming a worried expression.

Iris looks at Norah, seeing a pierced hole bleeding from underneath her mouth. The gang all gather around the two, especially Brook and Azure. Claire slowly looks up, curious as to what's going on as she crawls her way towards the others. "Oh Arceus please, no...Not my daughter. Don't take her away now. Not so soon, please." Brook says, tears beginning to slide from his eyes. "Why, Norah? Why would you do that?"

"I-I did it out of desperation...f-father." Norah says weakly, beginning to gasp. "I-I'm sorry…" Azure stares at her dying mother, seeing her gasping constantly as her eyes widen in terror. The Shellder starts trembling due to this.

"M-Mommy…?" Azure says, her eyes starting to form aquatic liquids. Iris and Mark look at the shaking Shellder as she continues to speak. "You...you won't go away, right mommy?" Azure then nuzzles against the Cloyster gently. "Please...don't go…"

Iris and Mark are petrified from what they're witnessing: A dying mother in front of her child. The two feel mixture of rage and sadness building up within their bodies. And it becomes apparent when the two have a flashback of seeing their close ones being maimed in front of them: Mark's sister, Carrie. And Iris' father, Drath.

Mark grits his teeth and turns towards Sheer. "You two are monsters!" He shouts, forming a fist. "You're willing to kill someone in front of their _child_ just so you could have us surrender!? WHAT KIND OF RULER ARE YOU!?"

The guards back away from the group slightly, feeling uneasy and unsure of what to do about the situation. Iris looks at Mark, nodding firmly. "I couldn't have said it any better, Mark." The Dragonite says, letting Norah rest on the ground as she gets up and looks at the group of Cloysters.

One of the guards looks at the king, concern beginning to form across his face. "Um, sir...Are you sure that what we're doing is right?" The guard asks.

Cocoon looks at the group, seeing Brook and Azure being close to Norah while the others frown at him and Sheer. "Well...I think we should-"

"Continue to seize them or kill them if they resist." Sheer says, cutting Cocoon off. "Don't you see, king? This is their way of playing tricks with you and your men. They want us to suddenly feel bad for them because we badly injured one of the prisoners' mother. If we let our guards down, they'll surely use this advantage to escape and cause more chaotic mayhem in the kingdom."

Anna flickers her ears at what Sheer said and growls. "Oh please don't believe what he said." She says, staring sternly at the two.

Cocoon thinks for a moment before sighing. "Well...since I've known you for so long Sheer, I'll take your word for it." Cocoon says, leading the gang to burst into rage. "Go ahead and seize them while you have the chance."

"Um...s-sir-"

"It's an order, soldier." Cocoon demands, interrupting the guard. The guard looks at the others for a moment before beckoning his head and continuing to pursue the group. Sheer sighs in relief as the gang all glance at the guards floating close to them.

"You have got to be kidding me…" Iris says before forming a fist. "So not only we have to deal with fighting these guys without our moves, but we also have to deal with Norah dying because of Sheer!"

Trent shakes his head. "This isn't good…" He says, goes to look at Norah, Brook and Azure sorrowfully.

Zeke and Lucas nod their heads in a uncomfortable manner. "Yep." They both reply.

Iris snarls before looking at the crew. "What can we do? How can we stop Sheer and save ourselves from this fight?" She says. Everyone, except for Brook, Norah and Azure, thinks for a moment. Afterwards, Anna gasps into realization.

"I think I may know how." She says.

"Well spill the beans, mate! Because we're running out of time!" Lucas says, seeing the guards coming close to him and the gang.

"Okay so after observing Sheer's Mythical Power from time to time, I believe that it can only work on us if he's looking directly at us. Meaning we have to be in plain sight of him if he wants to cancel our moves. So the only way we can counter his MP, I believe, is to have one of us distract him while the others go to attack him from behind."

The gang thinks about the plan for a moment before agreeing with Anna. "That sounds about right, Anna. Since he isn't willing to reveal his weakness, assuming that he has one, we might as well go with that route." Cerise says firmly.

"I'll distract him." Ashen says, joining in the conversation.

"So will I." Lucas says, being next to Ashen. "I may be a scaredy Meowth but if my brother is willing to do something, I will too." Lucas looks at Ashen. "He is the only family member I have left, so therefore I'll be by his side regardless."

Ashen looks back and smiles. "Thanks, bro."

Anna looks at the two and sighs happily. "I suppose I'll help you two distract him as well. And as much as I wished to awe at that moment, I need to know who's going to attack Sheer from behind." Anna says.

"We will." Iris and Mark say firmly.

"I-I will, too." Claire says weakly. Mark looks at her, worriedness forming throughout his face.

"But Claire, you're too weak to fight now. I don't think that you can last much longer." Mark says concernedly.

Cerise nods and says, "Agreed. At this rate, you may end up killing yourself if you keep attacking. I noticed the amount of blood trailing from you and it's becoming more apparent the more you use your moves.".

Claire smirks at the two and replies, "Don't worry about me. I just want to unleash one more Discharge on that slick hole of a shell, that's all. I'll be fine.".

"Well...just be careful, okay Claire?" Mark says.

Claire chuckles softly before looking at Iris. "Iris, are you okay with picking me up along the way?"

Iris looks at her and nods. "Sure. Since it seems like you're willing to do this as well." The Dragonite replies before gripping her fist. "When I get my hands on that bastard, I'll be sure to attack him with all my might for what he did to Norah. In fact, I'll show him why he shouldn't have treated me and anyone else in this kingdom like crap." She then slightly turns towards the guards, seeing them be real close to her. She then picks up Claire, not minding her hands being covered in red liquid during the process. "Anyway, we're done planning. So let's execute it before it's too late."

The gang nods and they all proceed to the plan, all of them rushing past the guards except for Cerise, Zeke and Trent. They remain by the Cloyster family's side. "We'll stay here to protect you three." Cerise says, smiling softly at them.

"Th-Thanks…" Brook says, staring at his beloved daughter gasping constantly. "It's going to be okay...Just breathe, Norah. Breathe…"

"I-It hurts, father." Norah says, whimpering in pain.

"I know...You can do this, Norah. Just hang on a little longer...for your father...for your daughter..."

The guards try to swipe at Iris and the other four but the five dodge them, Anna shoving one guard against the others while added. Sheer and Cocoon look at the five, both curious as to what they're doing. "Hmm…" Sheer says, staring at them sternly. Ashen looks at one of the guards' spear and snatches it from him, the guard getting vex and saying 'Hey!' in reply. The Linoone then throws the spear at Sheer, hitting him on the shell. "What the!?" Sheer flinches from the thrown spear, taking his attention towards Ashen, Lucas and Anna.

"How's that power going for ya, ugly?" Lucas says, sticking his tongue out playfully.

Sheer raises his brow at the eye-patched Furret. "Ugly? Are you calling me that? Because you're pretty much calling every Cloyster ugly since we look the same...besides maybe my king due to him being shiny but still."

"But we're not referring to the Cloysters. We're referring to _you_." Ashen says, chuckling.

"And even if we're calling your kind ugly, you would be the ugliest of them all because of that large spike of yours." Anna joins in, grinning at the large barbed Cloyster.

Sheer frowns furiously at the three Pokemon. "Why I never." He says before he ends up bickering them. Cocoon watches the senator argue with the three Pokemon, sweatdropping and sighing heavily.

In the meantime, Iris, Claire and Mark manage to get behind Sheer. They look at each other and beckon their heads, taking their attention towards him. Then Iris flies to the large barbed Cloyster while Mark dashes afterwards, Iris' tail being surrounded by red aura. Cocoon notices the three heading towards Sheer and says, "Um, Sheer.".

"My grandfather has more wisdom than you three combined. When it comes to insults and outright breaking the rules, that's where you'd lost the game already. Now please would you be so kind to accept your inevitable execution!"

"SHEER!" Cocoon shouts. The large barbed Cloyster turns to the shiny Cloyster.

"Yes, si-" Sheer is then interrupted by a Dragon Tail and Force Palm attack from behind: Iris' tail and Mark's paws blast Sheer in the air with their attacks, causing him to yelp. "AH! WHAT IN THE WORLD!?"

"Throw me towards him." Claire suggests to Iris.

Iris raises her brow at her. "What? Why?" She asks.

"JUST DO IT, MORTAL!" The Shinx growls, electricity begins to form around her.

"Uh...if you say so." The Dragonite flings Claire toward Sheer, the Shinx screeching loudly along the way.

"Take this, you disgusting waste of a shell!" Claire uses Discharge on Sheer, the red electricity beginning to roar towards the large barbed Cloyster. Sheer manages to look at the attack in time and cancel it, preparing his Razor Shell attack afterward. _Shit…_ Sheer spins around to hit Claire by the side, sending her flying straight to the wall and crashing into it. Smoke begins to form from the impact.

Iris grips her fist. "Oh crap! Claire!" She yells. Sheer falls to the ground heavily, groaning a bit in pain. The Dragonite sees the smoke fading away, noticing the Shinx being knocked out and almost completely bloodied. She turns her attention to Sheer, seeing Cocoon lifting him up.

"Ugh, my apologies, sir. Got a bit carried away by those Pokemon's ignorance." Sheer says as he's being aided.

"It's fine, Sheer. Just be careful next time and listen." Cocoon replies with a warm smile. Iris and Mark immediately give Anna, Ashen and Lucas a 'hurry' look, tilting their heads towards the two Cloysters. The three nod and they begin dashing to the two: Anna's mouth starts forming flames from it and Ashen and Lucas' paws start glowing white claws. Iris and Mark dash as well, Iris having her fist engulfed in flames while Mark has his paws ready to use Force Palm.

Sheer notices the five Pokemon and sighs. "When folks think that giving up is nonexistent." Sheer says, his body remaining in the light blue aura. Cocoon sees the five Pokemon as well and backs away immediately, leading Sheer to spin around as soon as the five got close to him. "THESE IDIOTS BEING THE PRIME EXAMPLE HERE!" The light blue spikes manage to hit the five Pokemon multiple times during Sheer's spin, the scene occasionally shifting to each of the five being hit by the attack. After Sheer finishes his spinning tactic, the five are sent flying in different directions as they yelp.

Iris and Mark crash into a group of guards, which leads to them being held captive, Lucas crashes next to Claire as he groans in pain, and Ashen and Anna land into another group of guards that hold them captive as well. "U-Ugh!" Iris says, panting heavily. She then notices that Cerise, Trent and Zeke are feeling exhausted from fighting off the numerous amounts of guards floating towards them. "Oh no…"

"It's no use fighting now, intruders and prisoners." Cocoon says before more guards enter from another hallway. Iris grits her teeth, noticing a majority amount of guards are in the main area now. "A lot of my men are here now. There's no reason to continue fighting at this point. You are all _outnumbered_."

"...He's right." Cerise says, grunting uncomfortably. "There's too many of them for us to handle without our moves."

 _Dammit...There has to be a way to get out of this._ Iris thinks. _Ugh! We're so close to escaping!_

"Now then...I will say this one last time: Surrender now or die." Sheer says firmly. "Your. Choice."

Norah soon stops gasping and tries to speak. "K-King...C-Cocoon…" She says weakly, catching everyone's attention.

"Hmm?" Cocoon replies in a curious tone, floating a bit closely towards the guard so that he could hear her.

"Pl-Please...j-just th-think...a-about your...d-decision…" She coughs out blood, whimpering.

"And why should I do that, prisoner?"

"Because the decision you're making is being influenced by a corrupted jerk!" A familiar female voice shouts, leading everyone to look at the voice's location. The voice happens to be Natalie, who's standing on the stairs alongside Mat and Exo.

The crew all gasp, seeing their beloved Zorua at long last. "Natalie!" They yell, feeling hope flowing throughout their bodies. Cocoon looks at the Zorua, raising his brow peculiarly.

"Who in the world of Solark are you?" Cocoon asks in confusion.

"Let's just say I'm one of the Pokemon you sent to the dungeon a few days ago." Natalie glances down at the king as Mat and Exo float in front of her. Cocoon looks at the two and becomes even more confused.

"What the? Mat, you found Exo, too?"

"Yes. He was trapped in that abomination of a living being's room." Mat answers, pointing his spear at Sheer.

Cocoon blinks for a moment before looking at Sheer, becoming very curious now. Sheer looks back and sweatdrops, shrugging. "I'm...pretty sure he's just messing with your head, sir. He surely has gone mad, especially after how he reacted to me earlier." Sheer says immediately.

"Gone mad? YOU'RE THE ONE THAT HAS GONE MAD HERE, YOU LYING SACK OF FILTH!" Exo shouts. "What Senator Mat said is without a doubt the truth, my king! He did trap me for all the wrong reasons! In fact, he trapped all three of us to be exact. Starting with me then Natalie and now, Mat!"

Cocoon looks a bit unsure, everyone looking at the five Pokemon curiously as they all say 'Huh?' and 'What's going on?'. Sheer sweatdrops once more, trying his best to remain calm. "Now sir, you and I both know that Exo is crazy. He could've been hiding in his room this whole time and the Zorua? She was helping him hide so that they and Mat could plot their evil scheme to sabotage your kingdom and rule it for themselves!"

Mark looks over at Natalie, picturing the Zorua sitting on the kingdom's throne with Mat and Exo by her side, Natalie herself wearing a big crown and laughing happily along with them. _Being best friend of a queen...actually doesn't sound too bad right now._ He thinks while blushing softly.

"Oh shut the hell up with your lies, Sheer!" Mat exclaims, glaring down at the two. Mark snaps out of his daydream from Mat's yell. "But if you need more proof than us just telling you...even though we really _are_ telling the truth but words seem to not work well apparently, then here you go." Mat floats towards Cocoon, Exo and Natalie following along. Cocoon looks at him confusedly before being shown the checklist paper from Mat. "He's not the type of senator that'll protect you, your highness. In fact, he's the _exact_ opposite of that."

Cocoon takes a look at the paper, his eyes widening in pure shock and terror. What grabs his attention the most is the checklist mentioning the assassination of Senator Brisk and him being killed off, leaving the king to drop his staff and slowly look at Sheer. "Sheer...what is this? Were you the one that killed him? That killed my best friend, Brisk!?" Cocoon asks, a bit of rage can be heard from him. "And you're planning to kill me afterwards!?"

Sheer gasps and shakes his head immediately. "Why sir, I would never do that to you! In fact, I don't even write like that and if I did then how would you know that it would be me exactly and not anyone else?" Sheer says innocently.

"Sheer, you've been my senator since I hired you a few months after Brisk's death. You showed me how you write on paper with a quill. So I know precisely that the checklist has the same writing as yours."

Sheer shrugs. "Okay but the checklist has the Mega Stone checked off...Where is that Mega Stone, hmm?"

"Right here." Natalie says, taking the blue reddish Mega Stone out of her black fur with a smug expression on her face. "Any other 'excuses' you can think of for your king, Sheer?"

Cocoon and the guards feel stunned by what they witnessed, Cocoon immediately glancing at Sheer angrily. Sheer looks away and gulps. "I...should've brought the Mega Stone with me." The large barbed Cloyster mumbles to himself.

"GET BUSTED, MATE!" Lucas shouts, circling his mouth with his paws to have his voice sound louder. Mat looks at Lucas in astonishment.

"Oh wow. I couldn't said it any better, man." Mat says, chuckling.

"Ha! I knew there was something not right about that guy after all!" Anna says, feeling pretty swell about herself.

"Same here." Ashen agrees.

"...Why Sheer? Why would you assassinate Brisk? Why would you want to kill me?" Cocoon asks in a angry yet sorrowful tone.

"..." Sheer becomes quiet for a moment before directing his eyes towards Trent, gritting his teeth. "Grab the Mega Stone, now!" He shouts.

Trent looks at Sheer for a moment before nodding. Cerise and Zeke look at him. "Huh?" Cerise says before being kicked in the face by Trent's foot, causing him to crash against Zeke. "Ah!"

"Whoa! What the!?" Zeke says confusedly before Trent dashes towards Sheer and the others. He bypasses the guards, jumping on one's head and slamming two other guards together with his paws. These are the ones that were holding Iris and Mark hostage as they let go of them and fall to the ground, knocked out. Zeke gets Cerise off of him, aiding him afterwards. "Are you alright?"

"U-Ugh...That was...out of nowhere." Cerise says, his nose beginning to bleed slowly from the kick as blood drips onto the ground.

Trent then gets in front of Natalie, who becomes surprised by his quick pacing. "H-Huh!?" Natalie says before getting uppercutted by the jackal's fist. She yelps, dropping the Mega Stone while in midair. Trent grabs the stone then spins around to punch the Zorua roughly in the stomach, sending her towards the wall next to Lucas and Claire. She slams against it, coughing out blood during the process. "GAH!" She gasps from the impact, the wall behind her forming a crack before she slides down and lands onto the ground.

Mark grits his teeth into frustration. "NO! NATALIE!" He shouts, his eyes widening from the attack. Natalie groans heavily in pain, struggling to push herself up from the ground. Trent takes his attention onto Cocoon and rushes towards him.

"U-Uh…" Cocoon says before being pushed by the Lucario. As he lands on the ground, Trent pins him down with his foot, smirking deviously at him. Cocoon becomes petrified at the Lucario and turns his attention towards Sheer. "Wh-What is the meaning of this!?"

Mat and Exo try to rush toward Cocoon but Trent slowly crushes the king's shell with his foot, causing him to yelp. "Step any closer to him and your king will be crushed." Sheer says, taking his attention towards the shiny Cloyster. Mat groans, gritting his teeth furiously. "Ahem...Anywho, you wanted a reason to why I'm doing this? Why I assassinated Brisk and now want to kill you? Well let me elaborate this to you as best as I can…"

. . .

Sheer closes his eyes and imagines himself in the past: When he was his younger, Shellder self who had a small barbed horn sticking out from the top of his head. The Shellder hanged around with his Cloyster grandfather, smiling happily as Sheer began to speak. " _When I was young, life wasn't so easy for me before I reached this position. I didn't have a mother or a father. I was told by my grandfather that they were dead. Because of that, he was my only family member left._ " The Cloyster picked up the Shellder and hugged him happily. " _As time passed by, my grandfather told me things that no one never dared to tell their child. Such as the harsh reality that rears its ugly ends and how in order to deal with it, you'll have to become that harsh reality itself._ "

A sigh was heard from Sheer before he continued. " _I didn't realize what he meant by that...until…_ " The scene then shifted to the Shellder witnessing his grandfather's death, tearing up during the process. " _He withered away…_ " The scene slowly transitioned to the Shellder digging a hole for his grandfather with his tongue, finishing the dig only to become a Cloyster years later and stare down at the grave. " _He tried to tell me something before he died...but none of that mattered. It was only a matter of time before I knew...I wanted happiness. Because throughout my years with my grandfather, he was my last happiness._ "

Sheer then imagined himself being at the Cloyster Ceremony in Ster Town, where the king was about to speak to the crowd of Cloysters and Shellders in front of the town. A Cloyster nearby him being Senator Brisk was there for his safety. Being on one of the town's rooftop was Sheer, wielding what seemed to be a Weapon Mischief that looked like a sniper rifle. " _So in order to get that happiness back, I'll have to take what my grandfather said into play. Be harsh on one's life to regain your happiness. And that I try to do to everyone in this kingdom by attempting to kill the king._ " Brisk noticed the Cloyster being on the rooftop before telling Cocoon to move out of the way. Sheer fired at the king before Brisk got in the way to take the shot, bleeding out immediately from his mouth as he dropped to the ground. The large barbed Cloyster then took off running as the crowd gathered around Brisk, Cocoon tearing up during so. " _Of course, I missed the shot to kill him and killed Brisk instead. I ran away immediately afterwards before hearing the crowd screaming in fear. I was lucky that no one saw me besides Brisk himself._ "

Then the scene shifted to Sheer returning to Ster Town, seeing the king having a mopey look on his face. " _After disposing my Weapon Mischief and waiting for a few months to pass, I returned back to Ster Town to see if he was hiring any more senators._ " Sheer and Cocoon was shown communicating with each other as the present Sheer continued his talk. " _At first, he said no until I managed to persuade him to hire me as his new senator. With that, he did._ " The scene finally shifted to Cocoon announcing Sheer as the kingdom's new senator to Ster Town. " _I figured that this'll be my chance to manipulate the king. Make him think that I'm as good of a friend as Brisk was…_ "

. . .

Sheer then opens his eyes to revert back to the present, staring grimly at Cocoon. "Now you may be thinking to yourself: What does the Lucario have to do with this if he wasn't involved in your past?" Sheer then looks towards Trent. "Well the answer is simple: He _was_ involved...but a little later on when I was the king's senator for awhile. He helped me further my goal towards happiness and I thanked him for such. You can taste your part of the cake in this story now, Trent."

Trent grins. "With pleasure, Sheer." The Lucario says, taking his attention towards Iris. Iris, Natalie, Anna and the rest of the crew are quite tick off by the Lucario.

"Trent...Why? Why would you do this!? WHY WOULD YOU HELP THAT BASTARD SHEER!? YOU SAID YOU WOULD GO AND FIND SAYA AFTER YOU ESCAPED! HOW DO YOU THINK SHE'LL FEEL ABOUT THIS!?" Iris says in pure rage, gripping her fists.

"Ah...that story I told you about, huh? Well a funny thing about that story: I lied about it."

"WHAT!?"

Trent shrugs with a smug look on his face. "Well...partially anyway. The story was true about me having a girlfriend named Saya. It's the part of the story on how I got here that was a lie: I actually got into this kingdom by...entering it from behind the castle. I mostly needed a place to live since I had nowhere to go."

Iris raises her brow at him. "Wait, that sounded similar to your hurricane story."

"Yeah...except the hurricane story _didn't_ happen. It was mostly that I got lost in the Zero Forest and captured by the guards here."

"Uh…"

"It's confusing to elaborate on how I even ended up here, to be honest. But let's cut to the chase here: After becoming prisoner here because of some dumbass law that prohibits different species from entering this kingdom, I told Sheer if he could help me escape. At first, he said no. Until I told him about this land that no one knows about...except maybe you guys because I'm about to tell you its name but whatever." Trent sweatdrops while chuckling. "This land is called the 'Land of Wishes'."

"The Land of Wishes? What in the heckles is this nonsensical, mate?" Lucas says, scratching the side of his head.

"Yes. The Land of Wishes is what you expect it to be: A land allowing you to grant any wish you so desired. And because of that, Sheer and I made a deal: If I find a Mega Stone that is a Lucarionite, then he'll have to kill the king and steal all of his belongings. That way, he could help me escape and I could lead him to the Land of Wishes."

"And of course, my wish...is to _become almighty himself_." Sheer says, staring up at the ceiling a bit insanely as everyone, except for Trent, gasps in surprise.

"YOU WANT TO BECOME A GOD!? WHAT!?" Everyone says, staring at Sheer in pure petrification.

"I thought you wanted your happiness back, Sheer! This is _not_ what I had in mind about you regaining that at all!" Anna says, gritting her teeth.

"I do. From the bottom of my heart, I wanted to feel my childhood happiness be reborn within me after my grandfather died. All of those years dealing with nothing but grief. So I figured maybe becoming a god can mean my revival for happiness! Because the world had robbed me of it that day! And if I can't be happy anymore, _then no one in this heartless world can_!" Sheer then stares back at everyone, his eyes widens in insanity.

"Sheer! You have to earn happiness! Not force it upon yourself, dammit!" Ashen shouts.

"Especially if you have to become flipping _ALMIGHTY_ in order to have it, that's definitely a no no. Life would be tough on us regardless of whether or not our happiness is gone! We just have to fight that toughness with kindness and generosity in order to earn happiness, not force our happiness to come to us by being harsh and cruel to others!" Anna says, snarling at the large barbed Cloyster. Iris looks at Anna, feeling quite touched and emotional by what she said.

 _Anna…_ Iris thinks, staring at the Ninetales before taking her attention back to Sheer.

Sheer seems be forming tears within his eyes, gritting his teeth. "SHUT UP! YOU'RE WRONG! EARNING HAPPINESS MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING COMPARED TO LOSING SOMEONE YOU LOVED DEARLY!" Sheer yells, tears sliding down rapidly from his eyes.

"YOU BLOODY _IDIOT_! LOSING SOMEONE YOU LOVED IS SUPPOSED MOTIVATE YOU TO BECOME STRONG AND EARN HAPPINESS THAT WAY! THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT, GOD DAMMIT!" Anna yells back, glaring at Sheer intensely.

Iris looks at Anna, gasping after hearing the words 'Losing someone you loved is supposed to motivate you to become strong and earn happiness'. She looks down at her paws, concerning thoughts beginning to form throughout her mind. _Is...avenging my father really the answer for making me happy? For making...him happy?_

"Gah! I'm sick of this chitchatting! Not like what I said matters anyway since I've pretty much caused a huge amount of burden on anyone I've met!" Sheer says, turning towards Trent. "Do what you must, Trent. Crush Cocoon, even."

Trent nods. "Will do, Sheer." Trent says, holding the Mega Stone up as he starts pressing his foot down, breaking Cocoon's outer shell and having his foot on the inner shell.

"Eeek!" Cocoon yelps, seeing the shell pieces flying off in different directions. The guards become alerted by their king being attacked as they try to float towards him. Some even letting go of Anna and Ashen during the process.

Trent as he smiles at them. "See this here? This is a Lucarionite. And I'm a Lucario...meaning this baby here can help me achieve _Mega Evolution_!" Trent says, seeing the guards getting very close to him. "MEGA EVOLVE!" Within a flash, Trent begins to glow light blue, blowing all of the guards away instantly. The guards all collide against the wall, even some against the exit door. Trent's fur begins to become a little longer as his tail turns a bit bushy. A second spike develops on each of his arms and feets. And lastly, the appendages on his head have extended its length to become separate from one another.

The gang all stare at the Lucario's transformation, aweing at it in surprise. "Whoa...This is my first time seeing Mega Evolution." Mark says, staring at the glowing Lucario in amazement.

"Me too…" Iris agrees.

"Me three…" Lucas joins in.

Soon, Trent stops glowing and shows his new appearance. His cream fur becomes longer than before, his body is engulfed in the red and blueish mixture of colors with his thighs and arms containing stripes, spikes are sticking out in front of his shoulders, and his tail is now the cream color rather than the usual blue before. Trent has Mega Evolved into Mega Lucario. The Lucario smiles brightly before saying, "Like my new look?". Then he slams his foot down onto Cocoon's inner shell, breaking that one into pieces as well. "Whoops. My bad."

"GAH!" Cocoon screams, his black ball-like head no longer floats and leans against the broken piece of a shell.

Everyone, except for Sheer, yelps from the shells being shattered. "HOLY SHIT!" Iris shouts, being quite stunned by how easily breakable the Lucario made the shell be.

Sheer sighs happily. "Great work, Trent. You're such an helpful companion, you know?" Sheer says a bit calmly.

"Again, glad to do this service for you, Sheer." Trent replies, squishing the shell like a bug while sighing happily as well. Cocoon winces, seeing his shell being destroyed by the jackal.

"COCOON!" Mat shouts, trying to aid the king himself until Sheer stops him.

"By the way Mat...I know that you were lying to me about that lady you said you didn't know of a few days ago. I just kept quiet about it because I didn't want to attract any kinds of drama between me and you yet." Sheer then looks at Norah, seeing Cerise and Zeke in front of her and her family. Cerise is covering his blood leaking nose as Zeke aids him. "Luckily for you... _I gave her quite the treatment on her face._ "

Mat looks as well and sees Norah lying on the ground, her eyes blinking constantly as the blood underneath her mouth continues leaking. Mat's eyes widen in pure terror, taking those eyes towards Sheer. "I'm. Going...TO KILL YOU!" Mat shouts, wielding his spear in anger and rushing towards him.

Sheer prepares his spear as well, laughing a bit insanely while continuously tearing up. "WHO'S LAUGHING AND JOKING NOW, MAT!?" Sheer says, completely losing it at this point. Soon, the two have their spears colliding against each other, Sheer grinning deviously at Mat. "TRENT, KILL THEM ALL WHILE I HANDLE THIS JOKESTER!"

"No need to tell me twice." Trent states as he stops squeezing the shell, looking directly at Iris. "Let's start with you first, Iris. Since you're the one who felt so 'sorry' for me. Heh."

Iris widens her eyes, backing away a bit. Trent dashes towards Iris, getting in front of her and having his paws being engulfed in black aura with purple outline. The aura then took on the form of two big claws: Shadow Claw. "Uh!?" Iris says, unable to think at the very moment.

"Counter!" Trent shouts before swinging his Shadow Claw towards Iris. Iris tries to use Fire Punch to counter it but gets hit by the attack from the side, leading her to roll across the ground roughly. "D'aww, too slow." Iris eventually stops rolling, crashing against the vase and table. The table collapses onto her head due to the impact. Exo yelps and gets beside Lucas, staying away from the violence going on.

"U-Ugh…" Iris groans and tries to get up but gasps instantly from the pain affecting her drastically. _What the!? Why does that attack hurt me so much!?_ She thinks before yelping in pain.

Trent then looks at Anna and Ashen, in which he notices a Flamethrower from Anna aimed right at him. "Huh. A Fire type move." Trent has an annoyed look on his face, the black aura beginning to fade away. He then forms a ball-like sphere on his paw, dragon wings beginning to develop from the sphere. "If there's one thing that annoys me the most in this world: It's fire." He then shoots the sphere towards the Flamethrower, the sphere slowly turning into a huge multi-colored dragon shaped beam: Dragon Pulse. "I despise them." The attack collides with Flamethrower, its power gradually increasing.

"Huh!?" Anna says confusedly. She's then hit by the Dragon Pulse attack, flying off into the air and crashing into a semi-chair that was in the area. Ashen grits his teeth, seeing Anna screaming in pain.

"Anna!" Ashen shouts before feeling Trent's presence near him all of the sudden. He turns to the side to see Trent besides him, looking up at the Mega Lucario in a bit of terror.

"You can join her, too." Trent says, grinning deviously and staring back at Ashen with his deadly red eyes.

Iris sees Anna struggling to move after the attack, gritting her teeth in frustration. _Crap...he did a number to her with Dragon Pulse, too. The thing I'm curious about is: If Dragon Pulse is special and that other move, Shadow Claw, is physical...then how come Anna and I take the same amount of damage?_ Iris thinks. _Unless…_

Trent's paws become engulfed in black aura again, ready to swing his Shadow Claw attack at Ashen. "ASHEN, NO!" Lucas shouts, attempting to get up but grunts from the Razor Shell attack earlier. Trent then hits Ashen with the attack as Ashen closes his eyes. When the Linoone opens his eyes, he feels no pain whatsoever.

"Huh?" Both Trent and Ashen say, noticing that Trent's claws is phasing through Ashen.

"Oh crap...I forgot that Normal types are immune to Ghost type moves…" Trent says, facepalming. "I tend to always forget about it, apparently."

Ashen chuckles softly. "I can't believe you forgot about that being a thing. So much for a threatening fella you are, haha." Ashen says.

"Hey now, the Pokemon anime tends to forget about it too." Trent's claws begin to fade away.

"Yeah, you right."

"Now then, where was I? Oh right." Trent lifts the Linoone up, bringing him close to his face. "Now just because you're a Normal type, doesn't mean I can't beat the living fur out of you."

Ashen grunts, shifting from Trent's grasp. "Try using your STAB Fighting moves, then."

"...I don't have one." Trent sweatdrops.

"...Pffft!" Ashen shakes his head. "So you mean to tell me that you forget that Normal types are immune to Ghost moves _and_ don't even have a Fighting move yourself?"

"I wanted to be different!"

"You're being way too different, honestly."

"Okay then. So what if I don't have a Fighting type move? I still have this!" Trent tosses Ashen in the air immediately while his tail begins to glow whitish silver. Ashen yelps before Trent launches himself in the air, spinning around to land an Iron Tail on Ashen. The attack forcefully sends the Linoone crashing into the wall next to Cerise and Zeke, causing Brook and Azure to yelp and flinch from the impact. Ashen gasps in pure agony, falling towards the ground and landing onto it. He's knocked out.

"BROTHER!" Lucas screams, wincing when attempting to get up again. Mark and Natalie shake in place from the menacing attack Trent caused on the Linoone.

"J-Jeez, that's po-powerful!" Mark says, backing away slowly.

Trent lands onto the ground swiftly, his tail ceasing its glow as he sighs in relief. "Indeed, it is. That's the power of my Mega Ability: Adaptability. It further boosts my Same Type Attack Bonus...or STAB, to greater power than before. And with me having used the move Work Up earlier…" Trent pauses for a moment to look at the knocked out Linoone. "My attack becomes strong enough to knock someone out with STAB plus Adaptability."

 _Work Up? When did he use Work Up ear-_ Iris stops thinking for a moment to remember her seeing Trent jumping up and down with red aura forming around him. The Dragonite then becomes furious while gripping the floor underneath her. _That sneaky asshole!_

Trent sighs in relief. "To put it simply: You're boned after one hit from my Iron Tail at this point." The Mega Lucario gestures his paw at the gang. "Come at me, if you dare."

Soon, Sheer smacks Mat's spear away with his and pushes Mat down, pinning him. Mat struggles from the pinning. "GAH! LET ME GO, YOU MONSTER!" Mat yells.

"After your death, of course." Sheer says in a casual yet crazy way. He then looks at Trent, seeing him looking fine and dandy. "How're things going for you so far?"

Trent looks back at Sheer, giving him a thumbs up and wink. "I terrified the living distortion out of everyone here. I'm doing just fine." Trent says before seeing the guards trying to get up again. "Erm, correction: I terrified most of them. Those guys didn't see my wrath yet."

"Well don't just stand there: Get rid of them!"

"Ok." Trent smiles casually, his paws preparing the Shadow Claw attack as he walks towards the guards. Meanwhile, Zeke and Cerise stare at the Lucario, seeing him walking by Mark as if he is a some object.

"Oh. My. Arceus." Zeke says before grabbing a hold of Cerise and shaking him panickedly. "WHAT DO WE DO MAN!? THAT LUCARIO IS LIKE SOME KIND OF MACHINE OR SOMETHING!"

"If. You. Would. Stop. Shaking. Me. I. Would. Probably. Tell. You. What. I'm. Thinking. Of-Gah!" Cerise says, feeling a bit dizzy from the constant shakes. Zeke stops and brushes Cerise off.

"Sorry there, pal. I'm just freaking out right now."

"Ugh...and it doesn't help when I have a bleeding nose, too." Cerise sighs. "It's fine though. But anyway, I'm going to need you and everyone else to take cover."

Zeke tilts his head confusedly. "Why's that?"

"I'm about to use a move that...may affect this castle and everyone around me."

"You mean like Earthquake?"

"...something similar to that, yes." Cerise lowers his brow, staring at the Mega Lucario tensely.

Soon, Jimmy arrives to the main area with the Pokemon egg being within his possession. "Hey guys, what did I mi-OH DEAR!" Jimmy yelps, seeing some of the crewmates being down and the king lying hopeless without his shells. "Wh-what on Solark happened here?" Jimmy looks at Cerise. "And what happened to you!?"

"To put it shortly: Crazed Mega Evolved Lucario was working with lust for happiness Cloyster all along and has pretty much powned the majority of us." Cerise says, beginning to glow a green aura as the ground underneath him begins to crack.

"Huh. Sounds like something crazy I had to deal with in the Noctis Forest...Also, is it me or am I seeing you glowing green and the ground is cracking beneath you?"

"The latter, Jimmy. So take cover because I'm about to use this move on Trent and it may affect all of us."

"Understood." Jimmy then goes by a nearest table and hides underneath it, hovering over the egg along the way.

As the guards get up, they see Trent walking towards them like a deranged maniac. "Hey guys. Who wants to be the first person to meet Mr. _Shadow_ and his wife Mrs. _Claw_?" Trent says, lifting his claws up. All the guards gulp, shakingly lifting their spears in preparation.

"EVERYONE, TAKE COVER!" Cerise shouts, no longer trying to cover his nose.

Mark and Iris look at Cerise confusedly. "Hmm?" They both say.

Trent stops and look at Cerise. "Take cover for what?" Trent says.

"For this!" Cerise roars out loudly, the ground beneath him cracks as green light emerges from it. The ground cracks travel towards Trent, leading the Lucario to be alarmed by it.

"Uh Sheer...your MP would be real handy right now."

Sheer blinks, seeing the ground trail increase its pacing before the castle itself starts rumbling. "I-I'm not sure about that." Sheer says.

Trent looks at him. "Why!?"

"Because I don't know if that's a Pokemon move or not!"

"...Well shi-" Trent gets hit by the attack, crashing against the wall itself. The building's ceiling begins to collapse onto the ground, alerting Anna to get up.

"Ah!" Anna says, wincing a bit from the pain she received earlier.

"Anna! Get some shelter, quickly!" Iris shouts at the Ninetales. Anna nods with no second thought and rushes by Ashen side, shielding him. Mark rushes by Natalie's side and gets shielded by Exo.

"My shell will protect you four! ...I think." Exo says in a unsure manner. Mat sees Exo protecting the four by himself and pushes Sheer off from him. Sheer grunts as Mat rushes by Exo's side, helping him shield the four as well. "Thanks, Mat."

Sheer takes his attention towards Trent and goes to cover him immediately, grunting from the big rocks falling on him. Then Iris and Zeke get the bright idea to shield Norah and the others as well. Iris notices a big structure about to collapse onto Cerise and the others. "N-Not on my watch!" She gets up weakly and rushes towards the five, whimpering from the pain remaining within her.

"Aaah!" Azure screams in a innocent little girl tone, Brook holding her and Norah closely. Zeke looks up and notices the structure as well, yelping in fear. Iris makes it in time to punch the structure into pieces, groaning some more.

"Thank you…" Brook says. Iris nods and goes to cover the group along with Zeke. Cerise stops glowing and ducks down, putting both of his paws above his head.

"Let's get out of here guys, now!" One of the guards says.

"But what about the king?" Another points out, pointing his spear at Cocoon. Cocoon screams as he sees another structure falling towards him. He is close to being crushed until Mat comes by to save him in time, taking his sphere-like body and parts of his shell with him before the thing collapses. "Never mind. Mat got him."

"WOOHOO, MAT!" The third guard yells before yelping from another structure falling next to him. The guards burst the front door open and exit out of the crumbling castle.

Over at Ster Town, the Cloysters there notice a bunch of guards heading towards the gate. "Huh?" One Cloyster says in confusion.

"OPEN THE GATE!" One of the guards shouts at the two guards that are patrolling the front gate. The two look behind them and see a bunch of guards heading their way, opening the gate immediately. Then they see the castle beginning to crumble, becoming stunned and shocked.

"Oh my Arceus…" One of the citizens in Ster Town says, all of them staring in astonishment and terror at the crumbling castle. "What's going on with the king's castle?"

The folks in Cloy Town are noticing the castle falling apart from the foreground. "What the heck…?" One of the Cloysters says in Cloy Town, being next to another Cloyster and some Shellders. Other folks in the town stare at the collapsing castle, confused as to what's going on.

Both towns become curious and afraid of what they're witnessing, talking among each other about the situation...

 _To be continued…_

 _End of Chapter 19._


	21. Chapter 20

_**Author's note: This is a very long chapter, everyone. Like this ends at page 32. When me and my pal was done editing this on google doc. So...have plenty of freetime to read this son of a gun. Also, 32 pages will be my page limit for future chapters because of this. And as usual, let me know what you guys think about this fanfic first arc and the fanfic itself as a whole. I'll be taking a break from this fanfic for now and will return back to it by August. Your feedbacks, opinions and support can help me and my partner improve on this story. Without further ado, enjoy.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 20: The Truth and the Escape Part 3.**

 _Cloyster Kingdom Arc._

The castle finishes crumbling down and tearing apart, building structures from every angle turning into nothing but piles of mesh-mashed concretes. Over by one of the piles, Iris, Jimmy and Zeke shrug the pieces of white concrete off from their backs while grunting. The three then look at Norah and the others to see that they're still in one piece, Cerise panting heavily as blood runs slowly from his nose. _Glad to see that Cerise and the others are fine._ Iris thinks before turning towards her right, looking at another structure from a distance. She sees Mat and Exo shrugging off the pieces themselves, making sure that Cocoon and the other three are in good shape. She also hears Anna's voice and turns to her side, seeing her groan while on top of Ashen as she shakes the concretes off herself. _Looks like everyone isn't too badly damaged from the collapsing. Good._

Mat turns toward Iris and the others, floating by their side immediately while carrying Cocoon. "Norah!" He exclaims, worriedness spreading throughout his face like a plague. Norah looks at Mat weakly, smiling softly.

"Oh Mat...You're always a warmth to my heart whenever I see you…" Norah says softly, whimpering afterwards.

"I-It's going to be okay, Norah. We'll get you out of this mess alive." As Mat comforts the female Cloyster, Cocoon stares at her, seeing the blood beginning to spread throughout her face and her gasping in a raspy, dying tone. The king grimaces at the imagery, closing his eyes and shaking his head in grief.

Zeke soon hears something and blinks. "Hmm?" He says, turning his attention towards another pile of structure a bit next to Mark and the others. He notices the structure moving forward slightly, some pieces falling off and landing on the ground. "Hey guys! I'm seeing something moving from that pile over there!" The Cloyster points, leading the others to look as well.

The structure continues to move for a moment until a fist goes through the structure, causing the pile to completely collapse. Azure yelps from the structure being demolished as dust forms around it. After the dust fades away, it reveals Trent and Sheer; Trent brushes himself off while Sheer eyes the group in a deadly manner, seeing them become tense and uneasy. "Well that was something I didn't expect." Trent says before wiping the concrete off from Sheer's shell.

Sheer nods firmly. "Yes. I didn't expect the attack to cause the castle to perish." Sheer replies back, closing his eyes. "...Maybe that might've been a Pokemon move, after all." He then looks back at the others along with Trent, Trent eyeing them deadly while still in his Mega form.

"Well well well. Ain't you guys lucky to survive that, huh?" Trent grins deviously, putting his fist against his paw.

Iris stares sternly at the Mega Lucario. "Yeah. I'd like to say the same for you as well." Iris answers, her fist being engulfed in flames during so. Sheer then lifts his face up in a judging manner, floating forward and eyeing at the group severely.

"This is it. You insignificant, ruthless Swinubs have managed to sabotage my plans and ruin the castle. Are you satisfied with the damage you've caused onto this kingdom, now?" Sheer questions, glancing at the crew.

Cocoon glances back at Sheer. "No. You're the one that caused the damage here, Sheer." Cocoon responds.

"Even though I wasn't the one that used the move that collapsed the castle?"

"I'm not talking about the things you didn't do. I'm referring to the things you _did_ do. You manipulating me is the reason why the castle ended up in ruins." Cocoon frowns. "Also the fact that you're willing to kill me is only going to make this kingdom worse."

"Heh, good point." Sheer lets out a sigh. "I enjoyed our time working together, Cocoon. I really did feel like a higher power being alongside with you and felt somewhat close to you, even." The large barbed Cloyster shrugs. "But what can you say? It's all just business in the end, friend. A business that is a part of the harsh reality we're living in." Mat grits his teeth in rage, frowning at the two Pokemon. Soon, Trent jumps up and down and pants heavily, using the move Work Up as Sheer continues speaking. "And thus ends our lesson on why you shouldn't put your trust on anyone but yourselves." Sheer smirks delightfully, seeing Cocoon staring at him in rage.

Exo shakes his head. "What a disappointing soul that shell must have been." Exo says in a dramatic, preachy tone. "A soul lost within an endless, hopeless cycle of hatred."

Zeke looks at Exo from across the castle, seeing him nearby Mat and Mark. "The better thing to say is: Who's going to take on these two?" Zeke questions.

Iris looks at the Cloyster behind her, staring at him firmly. "I will." She says, forming a fist. Mark grips his fist as well, staring sternly at Iris.

"Let me join in, too!" Mark suggests.

Jimmy steps forward besides Iris. "I'll help her as well." He follows. "And don't worry about the egg. I handed it to Anna for her to protect it." Iris looks at the Ninetales, seeing her shield the Pokemon egg alongside Ashen. She then stares back at the Heracross and nods.

Lucas gets up from the ground and brushes himself off, huffing angrily. "I'll help too, mate! I wanna give that Trent fella a piece of my mind for what he did to my brother." He speaks before stretching his body. Mat looks at the four volunteer Pokemon, staring gazily at them for a brief moment before taking his attention towards Trent and Sheer.

"You might as well count me in on this." Mat spokes in a grim tone, lifting his spear up.

"Alright. What about Natalie and the others?" Iris asks curiously.

Natalie walks towards Claire, her forelegs sparking a red outline around them as if they were glowing lights. "I'll stay next to Claire so that I could heal her." Natalie answers, sitting next to the Shinx. Mat's eyes widen in surprise as he looks at the Zorua.

"You can heal others!?" The Cloyster questions eagerly. Natalie nods calmly, leading him to look at the female Cloyster. "Natalie...when you're done healing Claire…" He takes his eyes back onto Natalie, anxiety and concerns forming on his face. "Please...heal Norah."

Natalie looks at the dying Cloyster from afar, seeing her gasping more softly and softly. She then focuses on the Shinx, noticing the pool of blood she's under and gulping. "Well...I'm not sure on how long it'll take me to heal Claire...But once I'm done with her, I'll try to immediately heal Norah." She says cautiously to the male Cloyster.

Mat nods. "Thank you."

"As for me, I can't fight due to using up all of my energy on that attack from earlier. So I'll just protect the families behind me." Cerise says, panting some more. Zeke goes to pat the green, black canine on the back.

"And I'll be Cerise's helper, too!" Zeke proudly mentions.

Anna shrugs uncomfortably while having Ashen and the Pokemon egg in between her forelegs, holding the two close to her chest. "I'm full myself, having to take care of these two. So I can't fight those two assholes as much as I want to." Anna follows.

Exo looks at Mat and Cocoon, frowning furiously. "I want to teach that no goodie two shells a lesson as well, Mat!" Exo shouts, red fury forming throughout his face while in front of Mark, Natalie and Claire.

Mat looks at Exo, shaking his head. "Exo...I think it's best if you come help Cerise and Zeke protect the king and the family instead." Mat suggests.

"WHAT!? WHY!? DON'T YOU REALIZE THAT SHEER HAS DESTROYED OUR TRUST!?" Exo trembles intensely. "I WANT HIM TO PAY FOR WHAT HE'S DONE!"

Mat is about to continue speaking, but Cocoon interrupts him. "Exo...I believe it's best if you let Mat handle the situation, and protect me. You're more capable of being a defensive guard than an offensive one like Mat and Sheer. Sure, you're loyal...but I've noticed how much you struggled to be combative against your opponents." The king says, looking off to the side. "It's not like I don't want you to fight. It's just that as of this situation, I believe Mat is better suited to handle it than you can. After all, it is my fault for putting Sheer, a traitor, under the light more than my actual loyal senator…"

 _Cocoon…_ Mat thinks, feeling rather desolate for the shelless Cloyster.

"So please, help these two Pokemon protect me and the Cloyster family…"

"But sir-"

"That's an order, Exo. Please…" Cocoon cuts Exo off from speaking, Exo forming a rather convoluted and grim expression. Exo glances at the king for a moment before sighing heavily and nods.

"Okay, sir...I'll do it. For you...s-sir!" Exo then floats towards Mat, Cocoon, Zeke and the others. _I lost my spear, anyway…_ Tears drip to the ground while he grits his teeth in rage and sorrow. He stops next to the two Cloysters, staring at Mat before nodding firmly. Mat hands Exo the shelless Cloyster before Exo continues to speak. "Mat...I just want to let you know…"

Mat blinks curiously at Exo. "Hmm?" He converses in a curious manner.

Exo sniffles, shaking his head as the tears flies off from his face. "Give it all you got on Sheer. Teach him a lesson he'll never forget! A lesson that'll guarantee the absolute respect the Cloyster Kingdom deserved long ago!"

Mat gazes at the Cloyster before nodding firmly, taking his eyes back onto Sheer and Trent. "Oh I _will_ , Exo. I will." Mat then floats next to Iris, lifting his spear in preparation. Jimmy cracks his fist, preparing himself as well.

Lucas rushes off to Iris and the other two's side while Mark puts his hand on Natalie's back. "I'll make sure that none of those two get anywhere close to you. Alright?" Mark says firmly. Natalie looks at the Riolu as she lets her red paws touch Claire's body, nodding at him.

"Alright. Be careful, Mark." Natalie replies in a worried tone.

Mark nods back before rushing by the others, standing next to Iris. Natalie takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, proceeding to focus on healing Claire. The Riolu looks at Iris curiously. "So if I know how this Weapon Mischief thing works: The battle we had earlier ended because of the castle collapsing, right?" He asks the Dragonite.

Iris looks down at the Riolu and nods. "You got that very right, Mark. So your moves should reset its usage count by now." Iris answers.

"Sweet!" Mark smiles, his paws beginning to glow yellow. The five volunteer Pokemon stare at their opponents, all being in their battle positions. "Well it seems like it's five of us and two of them. Surely, this match would be a piece of cake."

Trent laughs deviously, stopping his jumping and panting. "I wouldn't say that, my pre-evo self. Because while you all were busy chatting, I used Work Up not once, not twice. But _three_ times." Trent says. The gang all gasp in terror, the five Pokemon feeling quite pressured and intimidated by the strong Mega Lucario as he winks at them. "I thank you so much for that, by the way. Allowing me to have a chance at knocking you five out easily." The Mega Lucario smirks, leaning his body forward in a bit of an psychotic manner. "This battle will be over in no time."

 _Shit...What do we do now?_ Iris questions herself, her and the others stumbling into crisis territory of thinking. She then gasps into realization. "Oh right. I forgot that I have the Multiscale ability."

"Multiscale?" Mat asks in a confusing manner.

"Yes. Even if his attacks are powerful, I can still have a chance at tanking them." Iris answers, glaring at Trent. She sees him charging after her and the other four, her getting in front of the group. "So I'll take one for the team, okay?"

"I see." Mat nods. "Alright then."

Iris then turns to Anna, not focusing on Trent running quickly towards her. Mark raises his brow at Iris. "Uh…?" He replies curiously.

"And Anna," Iris pauses for a moment, having the Ninetales' attention. "I'm sorry." Anna gasps at the Dragonite's response, her mouth hanging slightly open to the apology before Iris turns to face Trent. She sees him trying to swing his fist at her and she grabs it, pushing the Mega Lucario back.

Trent slides back from the push, chuckling softly. "Nice timing. Better than the timing you had earlier." The Mega Lucario says as Sheer floats calmly towards the five, his eyes glowing blue. The five grunt at the Cloyster's MP, Mark's paws stop glowing yellow. "But let's see if you can time this!" Trent dashes towards the five immediately with no warning. The five back away a bit, seeing the Mega Lucario stopping midway in front of them before slamming his fist to the ground. He causes an massive wave that blows them away, the five Pokemon yelp during so. Trent's tail begins to glow whitish silver as he leaps in the air and uses Iron Tail on Iris.

Iris sees the attack and blocks it with her arms, wincing from the infliction she received from the attack. This leads her to be pushed further away from the other four as she lands on the ground and slides across it. Mark and the other three land as well, with Lucas being the one rolling around on the ground for a bit. _J-Jeez, that attack hurts…_ Iris thinks, panting heavily as she recovers herself. _We got to be cautious around this guy…_

Trent takes his eyes onto the other four and dashes towards the Heracross. Jimmy runs after him with his Close Combat attack but didn't pull it off as his arms swing at a slow pacing. "Hmm!?" Jimmy exclaims before getting punched in the stomach by Trent's fist, sending him flying off and rolling all over the ground. The Heracross stops the roll with his nails, looking up to see the glowing blue eyes Cloyster smirking at him and the others. "Oh jeez, I keep forgetting about him!"

Mark and Lucas rush after Trent by the side as he walks towards Jimmy. "You're not harming our friend!" Lucas shouts, him and Mark coming close to the Mega Lucario. Trent sighs in relief before his tail glows again, him twisting his body around rapidly. The two Pokemon is hit by the Mega Lucario's Iron Tail, both yelping from the strong attack as they get blown back. "Oof!" The two slide across the ground, groaning and wincing from the attack. "J-Jeez, ugh...He wasn't kidding when he said he'd set up three Work Ups…"

"Y-Yeah…" Mark replies to the Furret, holding the side of his arm. "I-I can barely move at this rate." Natalie whimpers, hearing Mark's voice sounding like he's in drastic pain as she continues the healing process for the Shinx.

Trent looks at the three injured Pokemon for a moment, smiling in delight. "Oh you three are so entertaining to see getting hurt. Because you honestly think that you can take on a powerful Pokemon such as myself." He then slams his foot to the ground, causing it to crack slightly. "Well guess what, _it's not happening anytime soon!_ "

The three Pokemon grit their teeth in frustration, staring at the Mega Lucario in petrification. Iris looks at Trent sternly, preparing to flap her wings. "I wouldn't exactly bank on that, Trent." Iris retorts before flying towards him. While that happens, Mat rushes towards Sheer with a battle cry.

Sheer looks at the Cloyster, seeing him ready to swing his spear. Mat attempts to swing the spear at him but Sheer blocks it with his, the two spears clashing against each other as a result. Sheer shakes his head calmly, seeing the male Cloyster trying to push the spear forward. "You're such a fool, Mat. Willing to have your life be taken away over those you 'loved' and 'cared' about." Sheer says with an grim expression.

"Those loved ones matter a lot to me. And if I failed to protect them, then I failed as a good person." Mat replies before pushing more forward.

"Hmm…" Sheer closes his eyes, sighing heavily. "Then you know how I felt when I lost my grandfather." He then pushes back with greater force, causing the spear collision to end before swiping his spear at Mat. Mat notices the swiping and blocks it, resulting to him and Sheer to continuously swing and block each other in a quick pace.

As the fight goes on, civilians and guards from Ster Town are watching the mayhem from a distance. Witnessing a bunch of clashing and booming noises as they converse with each other, saying things such as 'What's going on now?', 'I hope the king is okay', and more. Some Cloysters and Shellders from Cloy Town even join in Ster Town to observe the violence going on. Even the prisoners and other guards from the Zero Forest are next to Ster Town by the gates. Worriedness showers throughout everyone's faces as the fight continues.

Trent manages to kick Mark away from him, sending him flying off in the air. "MARK!" Iris yells, glaring at the Mega Lucario immediately before rushing towards him and swinging her fist. Trent notices the Dragonite's attempt at attacking him and dodges it.

"Aaah!" Mark screams, being unable to control his twirling body in the air. After awhile, he slams into the ground, groaning massively in pain. "U-Ugh…" He attempts to get up on his feet, wincing unpleasantly along the way. "I-I won't...g-give up. N-Not h-here...not n-now-Gah!" He whimpers and gets on his knees, covering his stomach with his arm. _It's like being hit by two hard irons all at once...it hurts. So...so much._ The Riolu pants for a bit, staring down at the ground for a moment. _What can we do to stop Trent? Crud, I feel like I'm close to fainting…_

Mark looks up to see that he's far from the fight, next to some other crumbled down structures. _If only I had my Weapon Mischief right now, I wouldn't have much of an problem with this fight…_ As Mark looks around, he notices a bag and a bow next to each other. The two items are beside him, leading him to gasp in rejoice. _Iris' bag! A-And there's my Weapon Mischief being next to it!_ The Riolu smiles and grabs his bow, hugging it as if it were a baby. "Oh I missed you so much, my bow friend!" He says before kissing the bow repeatedly, snuggling it afterwards. He then equips the bow, along with having the bag onto his back as well, noticing Sheer's torn down bed and dressers next to the structure. He didn't pay much attention to them as he runs back to the others.

During the fight, Iris continues her punches while Trent dodges them. Trent then pushes the Dragonite away with his paw, seeing her slide across the ground. Lucas and Jimmy have fully gotten up on their feet, the two panting heavily during so. Jimmy and Iris look at each other before dashing after the Mega Lucario instantly. While that happens, Lucas goes to lay down on his back and lifts his tail up, slamming it towards the ground to launch himself up in the air. Iris notices that Sheer is being distracted by Mat, taking her eyes back onto Trent.

"Mat is distracting Sheer. So this is the time to use our moves, now!" Iris says to the Heracross, her fist beginning to form flames around it. Jimmy nods in approval, cracking his fist and spreading his arms out to use Close Combat. As the two scream and get closer to Trent, Trent snickers before swinging his tail around to use Iron Tail. He hits Iris with the attack, causing her to gasp in pain and collide into Jimmy. _Dammit!_ As the two hits the ground, Trent sees Lucas gliding towards him.

"Hiyaaah!" Lucas proclaims, having his foot sticking out to prepare his kick as he gets in an awkward karate pose. Trent sweatdrops and just grab Lucas' by the foot, lowering his arm down to slam the Furret to the ground. "GAH!" Lucas yelps, coughing up blood during the hard, forceful drop.

Trent nods his head and has his mouth pushed back, forming an uncomfortable expression. "Okay. That was awkward." The Mega Lucario says, looking down at Lucas.

Lucas lifts his arm up, shifting his head to the side, left and right. "Now I'll have you know, I was the best karate-fu master in the wor-" The Furret passes out afterwards, leading Trent to feel even more confused.

"...I have no idea on what I just witnessed."

Iris grunts as she tries to get up. "You witnessed Lucas being Lucas. That's all you need to know." She answers, putting her paw by the side of her arm.

Trent looks at her, raising his brow while showing an awkward expression. "I...see." Trent then takes his attention towards Cocoon and the others, grinning deviously. "Well since you four are injured, I'll be attacking them now." He dashes off immediately, running towards the seven non-volunteer Pokemon.

"NO!" Iris tries to go after him but winces due to the infliction. Azure sees the deranged Mega Lucario heading for her direction and screams in terror, noticing his paws be engulfed in shadowy aura.

"I got this!" Zeke says, getting in front of the six Pokemon. Cerise widens his eyes at the Cloyster, gritting his teeth.

"Uh, I highly recommend you don't risk that. He could hurt you as badly as he did to Iris and the others!" Cerise explains in a worried tone.

"I-I know what I'm doing, Cerise." Zeke's voice sounds shaky when he said that. _I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know what I'm doing. I. DON'T. KNOW. WHAT. I'M. DOING!_ Then Trent attacks Zeke with Shadow Claw, leading him to yelp. "EEK!"

"Zeke!"

Trent has his paw against the Cloyster's shell, noticing that Zeke only moved slightly from the attack. "Hmm?" Trent wonders, tilting his head curiously. _Why didn't he get blown awa-_ His thoughts cut off when suddenly winces in pain, backing away from Zeke. "What the hell!?" He rubs his paw gently, eyeing Zeke furiously. "Why was I damaged there!? I don't recall Cloysters having the ability Rough Skin before!"

Zeke blinks for a moment before coming into realization. "Oh. I'm alive because of my ability."

"Your ability?"

"Shell Armor. Allowing me to be immune to something that could oneshot me such as a one-hit KO move or boosted physical/special attacks that would normally knock me out. Speaking of which, you were hurt due to your physical attack being boosted. Mostly by contact, I should say."

"...I'm sorry, what?" Trent tilts his head in confusion.

Zeke sweatdrops and shrugs awkwardly. "Just think of it as a mixture between Unaware and Rough Skin...if that makes sense."

"I see…" Trent then takes his attention towards Natalie, seeing her healing Claire. "Welp, she has no one protecting her so…" The Mega Lucario takes off running without warning, grinning in delight. Mark returns back to the others and sees Trent heading for Natalie's direction, yelping in anxiety.

"Oh no you don't!" He shouts, forming an arrow by the side of his paw and rushes after the Mega Lucario. The Riolu shoots his arrow at Trent with his bow and Trent slashes the arrow with his Shadow Claw, taking his attention towards Mark. Trent runs towards him and clashes his Shadow Claw with Mark's bow, the two swinging at each other afterwards.

During so, Sheer pushes Mat to the ground with his spear, leading the Cloyster to groan in pain. He then take his eyes on Iris, seeing her trying to get up and prepare her used-to-be Fire Punch. "Not so fast, you pathetic waste of life." Sheer speaks, smirking at the Dragonite. Iris glares at him and snarls deeply.

"I would make you eat those words if it weren't for your damn Mythical Power!" Iris shouts, gripping her fist furiously. "TELL US YOUR WEAKNESS, ASSHOLE!" Natalie flickers her ears at the word 'weakness', opening her eyes and losing focus of healing Claire. She looks at Iris and Sheer, seeing Sheer laugh in a humble manner.

"Do you play me as a moronic fool? I would never tell my enemies about my MP's weakness, like I told you insignificant Piloswines before. However...I will tell you its name." Sheer winks. "Force Shatter."

"Force Shatter...What the hell does that name have anything to do with canceling someone's moves!?"

"Oh I don't know: I'm _forcing_ your moves to not function, thus _shattering_ any sort of chances you have to fight against me?" Sheer squints his eyes at the Dragonite.

Iris sweatdrops. "Oh…" _That makes sense…_

"Anywho, it's time to end this unnecessary combat."

Iris grits her teeth, still groaning due to her being in pain. "Iris!" Natalie shouts, catching the Dragonite's attention. "I know what's Sheer's weakness!" Sheer glances at the Zorua, squinting his eyes.

 _Shoot._ Sheer thinks, looking at the Mega Lucario immediately. "Trent! Get the Zorua, now!" Trent flickers his ear and turns to Natalie slightly, going to rush towards her after pushing Mark away.

"Hurry and tell us, Natalie!" Iris yells, noticing Trent rushing towards her in a quick pace.

"It's his ho-" Natalie is interrupted by Trent's fist colliding against her face. Mark and Iris' eyes widen in shock and terror.

"NATALIE!" The two both scream the Zorua's name, seeing her zoom away from Claire and Mark and crash crucially against another structure. The wall structure collapses onto the Zorua, covering her. Mark grits his teeth in pure rage, his red eyes widening more as he glares at the Mega Lucario.

"You...Your powers may have scared me earlier. But seeing Natalie getting hurt not once but twice…" Mark pauses for a moment, preparing his bow and arrow as he aims it at Trent. "Just makes me want to put you down before you put _her_ down!"

Trent looks at the Riolu and smirks. He dashes towards him and grabs Mark by the head. Mark gasps, looking up at the Mega Lucario. "Alright. Then how about I," Trent pauses his sentence as he forces the Riolu's head down, slamming him massively towards the ground. " _Put you down, first._ "

Iris grits her teeth concernedly. "Mark! No!" She yells, seeing Trent remove his hand from Mark's face afterwards. Mark has his eyes closed and his mouth opened, unconscious and unable to move.

"Ugh...You two are just unstoppable monsters." Jimmy says, groaning as he gets up. "This is un-unacceptable!"

As Trent goes to focus on Iris and the others, Iris looks at Mark then Natalie's crash site, her mind scattering into thoughts. _What to do, what to do...Natalie mentioned Sheer's weakness being something, but was cut off._ She thinks, now taking her eyes onto Sheer, who's currently smiling at her and the others. _What may that weakness be?_ Soon, she hears Claire's grunts and takes her attention onto the Shinx.

Claire groans and rubs her head with her paw, sighing heavily. "Wow that was...such an unnecessary and painful experience. Those guards really did damage me badly, after all." Claire says before sighing once more. "I'll be sure to use my moves cautiously whenever I'm under that injured phase again." She looks around to see the crumbled down messy area she's in, blinking in surprise. "Whoa there. Is it me or did I just ended up in another place? Thought I was in the castle." Then she instantly gasps in realization. "Never mind that. Mistress!"

She looks around, noticing Iris and the others struggling to fight Trent and Sheer off. "Where are you, mistress!?" She soon sees the collapsing wall structure that has Natalie in it, noticing the Zorua's tail sticking out from it. _Mistress…_ Claire thinks, gritting her teeth in rage. _Her presence even feels as though she's...dead._ The Shinx growls deeply, glancing at everyone. "Who...harmed...MISTRESS!?" Claire questions loudly, slamming her paw down furiously.

Trent looks at Claire, raising his brow. "You mean the Zorua?" Trent asks confusedly.

Claire eyes the Mega Lucario, nodding firmly. "Yes mortal. Were you perhaps the cause of this? If so, you'll regret doing that."

Trent blinks at the Shinx and laughs loudly, shaking his head. "Great. Now I've got a Shinx trying so hard to threaten me."

Sheer looks at the Shinx while trying to focus on the others. "I wouldn't taunt her if I were you, Trent." Sheer suggests.

Trent stares at the large barbed Cloyster and rolls his eyes in sarcasm. "And why's that? She'll electrocute me to death or something?" Then he turns back to see the Shinx in front of his face. And in the air. "Uh." Claire smacks the Mega Lucario's head to the ground, cracks forming from the forceful slam's sight. As he tries to get up, Claire pins him down and forces him to look at her. "Ugh!" Trent groans in a uncomfortable manner, staring at the angry Shinx.

"You should've listened to your friend there. He was trying to save you from what I'm about to do to you." Claire says, staring into the Mega Lucario's eyes. Trent stares back and notices her soulless and empty yellow eyes, as if every flower in existence has turned into the color gray. "You see it, right? Emptiness?" The Shinx then creepily smiles at him, cocking her head slightly in a crazed manner. "And we all know that there's nothing beyond emptiness, hmm?"

Trent begins to tremble as he sweatdrops, his eyes widening in petrification. "Wh-Why do I feel-"

"Weak? Well my foolish lower power, that's because I'm using the Intimidate ability. Something that I should've activated long ago whenever I get into fights." Claire interrupts Trent as electricity begins to surround her body, with a yellow aura accompanying it. Trent grits his teeth in frustration, trying to move out of the Shinx's grasp but couldn't. "So since one of you decided it was a good idea to badly injure mistress, I believe that it's a good idea...to _eradicate the both of you_." Claire lets go of the Mega Lucario, backing away slightly. Afterwards, she charges towards Trent in a quick pace.

Trent gets up immediately and tries to back away from the Shinx, but she rams into his stomach with Wild Charge. "AH!" Trent screams as he's launched towards Sheer. Sheer notices the Mega Lucario flying towards and crashing into him, hitting the ground as a result. "Oof!"

Claire pants heavily, wincing from the recoil damage as the electricity and yellow aura fade away from her. She then gasps and widens her eyes, seeing a list of five words appearing in front of her. While everyone else can see these words, they themselves appear to be written in a more cryptic language and font. Through Claire's eyes, the words read as follows: Spark, Tackle, Discharge, Bite and Wild Charge. She's seeing her moves. "Oh. I guess I learned a new move and need to replace one. Hmm...I'll just replace this." She then closes her eyes, the word 'Wild Charge' rising to where the word 'Tackle' is. Then the 'Wild Charge' glows brightly before said glow fades away and shows the 'Tackle' nowhere in sight. Afterwards, the words disappear as she opens her eyes. "Not gonna need Tackle anyway."

Iris blinks confusedly at the Shinx. "Huh...that's strange." She says before noticing the structure Natalie is in starting to move. "Hmm?" The structure begins to burst, creating an hole. Natalie exits the hole, finishing her Shadow Ball attack and panting heavily.

"Horn! His weakness...is his..." Natalie falls to the ground, closing her eyes slowly. "H-Horn…"

"Mistress!" Claire rushes to the Zorua's aid. Mat looks at Sheer's large barbed horn, glancing at it.

"I knew there was something odd about that horn!" Mat exclaims, getting up from the ground and rushing towards his two opponents. Iris and Jimmy look at each other for a moment before following Mat. Sheer pushes Trent off from him and notices the three Pokemon sprinting towards him.

 _Shoot. They know about my weakness now…_ Sheer thinks as Mat swings his spear at his horn. Sheer yelps and blocks the spear with his, while at the same time noticing that Iris and Jimmy are besides Mat. "Huh!?" The two Pokemon throw their fists towards the large barbed Cloyster, him backing away from the punches immediately. _That was close…_ "Grr." Sheer closes his eyes, his spear beginning to glow white. "I was so close to accomplishing my goal." He then opens his eyes, them beginning to glow white instead of blue. "I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO RUIN THEM!" He then moves his spear forward rapidly, screaming within a battle cry. "Stab Platinum!"

Sheer manages to hit Iris and Jimmy with his Weapon Move, jabbing them all over the place. The two grunt and block the attack with their arms as Mat gets out of the way of the rapid jab. Then Sheer slides across the two Pokemon, causing them to get blown away and roll all over the ground. "Iris!" Anna yells, her and the others feeling more worried than before. Iris and Jimmy grip onto the ground to stop their roll, panting heavily as they look up at Mat and Sheer.

"So that's your Weapon Move, huh? Well here's mine!" Mat exclaims before jumping in the air, letting go of his spear and allowing it to float above him. Then multiple spears begins to form around him, all positioning at their target. Sheer looks at the spears and grits his teeth, gulping in a uneasy manner. Mat fires the spears at Sheer, all aiming towards him in a intense speed. "Downpour of a Thousand Spears!"

"Oh bucket of icicles!" Sheer says before being hit by the multiple spears, yelping from the amount of damage he's receiving. One of the spears manages to hit his horn, leading him to scream in pain as one more spear sends him flying off into the air and crashing against a half wall structure that's next to Natalie and Claire. Claire drags Natalie away from Sheer with her mouth as Sheer groans uncomfortably. "U-Ugh…" His barbed horn is slightly cracked due to the Weapon Move, the spears fading away after hitting him.

Mat sighs in relief and floats towards the ground, Exo cheering him on in rejoice. "Woohoo! You showed him who's boss, Mat!" Exo yells excitedly, seeing Mat return to his normal floating altitude and form a singular spear. Mat looks at Exo and smirks, rubbing the side of his shell with his spear.

"I may have the shorter horn but at least I have the better Weapon Move, haha." Mat says happily.

Trent notices that Mat is being distracted and gets up. The Mega Lucario runs towards the Cloyster, but is stopped by Jimmy, whose eyes are glowing the colors gamboge (light brown) and dark red. "I believe that won't be necessary, you evil doer." Jimmy says as a magical horn begins to form on his actual bandaged horn. Iris and Anna gasp at the imaginary horn, shocked to see it being formed from Jimmy's head. Jimmy then punches and kicks Trent all over the place, jabbing him in the face as his scarf and arms glow white. "Close Horn Combat!"

Jimmy then delivers the final blow by smacking Trent with his horn, sending him crashing into Sheer. Sheer coughs out blood from the impact, him and Trent both groaning in pain. Jimmy's eyes, scarf and arms stop glowing as the magical horn begins to fade away. "Whoa…" Iris says, stunned by Jimmy's Mixturing Move. "So even without his horn, he can still use his Mixturing Move…"

"Does this means that you can use Mixturing Moves no matter what body parts you're missing?" Anna asks, continuing to protect both the egg and Ashen. Iris turns towards Anna, putting her paw against her face thinking.

"Seems like that's the case. But I'm not certain if the same applies for Weapon Moves." The Dragonite then shrugs. "Looks like we're learning something new about these things everyday, huh?"

Anna nods. "I couldn't agree more." Then Iris, Mat and Jimmy take their attention towards their two opponents, seeing them trying to get up from the structure. As the two brush themselves off, the three Pokemon approach them, Iris and Jimmy folding their arms while Mat lifts his spear up in preparation.

"It's over now, Sheer. You might as well accept defeat at this point. Because we know about your MP's weakness, we know about your plans, and we pretty much weakened you and your partner in crime there." Mat states, glaring at the two. Trent and Sheer look at each other for a moment before the two grin deviously at the three.

"Oh you simple minded fools...Even if you knew about my plans. Even if you knew about my weakness. Even if you weakened the two of us...Who said that we were defeated?" Sheer replies before spitting out blood onto the ground.

"Uh...we did?" Iris answers while raising her brow at Sheer.

"And? You _think_ that we're defeated. You want to _believe_ that we're defeated. But in actuality, _you're_ the ones that are defeated because even if you defeated us, this kingdom is still a mess. And it's too late to fix it." Sheer sighs happily before staring at the sky. "Not everyone in this world can receive an happy ending. Because we all know that at the end, there's no such thing as a happy ending when it comes to death." Iris squints her eyes at him, backing away slightly as he grins at her. "Right?"

"That's why we create happy memories! To cherish them before we die!" A familiar male voice says in a furious, low tone. The group look to see the voice coming from Mark, his body surrounded by black, shadowy auras. The Riolu is panting heavily, holding his bow in one paw before tossing the bag he had earlier to the side.

"Mark!" Iris and Jimmy shout, both looking rather confused by the aura surrounding the Riolu.

Trent raises his brow at the Riolu, perplexed by this phenomenon as well. "Uh, what's going on with you?" He asks Mark in a very blunt manner. The others agree on what Trent said, all beginning to chat about it. Mark looks at himself for a moment, noticing the shadowy auras surrounding his arms before looking back at Trent.

"I have absolutely no idea. But what I _do_ know is that I'm done with this fight. I'm done seeing my friends getting injured, especially her!" Mark exclaims, pointing at Natalie, who's being tapped by Claire. Mark then forms a fist, glaring at the Mega Lucario. "So now, I'm angry. Very angry. Well actually, I'm neither of those." The Riolu takes off running towards the Mega Lucario, screaming in rage. "I. AM. PISSED!"

Trent backs away a bit and shakes his head. "Some kids just never learn these days." The Mega Lucario then forms a Dragon Pulse from his paws as Sheer's eyes start glowing blue, trying to prevent the Riolu from using his moves.

As Mark looks at Sheer, an unfamiliar voice begins to speak in his head. " _Steal his Mythical Power…_ " The voice says in a eerie and raspy tone, leading the Riolu's eyes to turn pure black as he stares at Sheer. Sheer's eyes soon stop glowing, leading him to feel odd.

"Hmm?" The large barbed Cloyster says in a confusing manner. Mark's eyes then begin to glow blue as he uses Copycat on Trent, allowing him to use Dragon Pulse back. Trent tries to fire his Dragon Pulse but couldn't, beginning to become perplexed as well.

"What the!?" He says before getting hit by the multi-colored dragon shaped attack, groaning from it. He collides with Sheer as the two bump against the structure. "Wh-What just happened!? Why wasn't my attack pulled off? And how was he able to damage me with a move, Sheer!?"

"I-I have no idea. I thought I was using my Mythical Power on him but apparently, I-" Sheer pauses for a moment to notice that Mark's eyes are glowing blue, leading him to gulp. "Um...Trent."

"Yes?"

"I think he stole my MP…"

"WHAT!?" Trent and the others all yell in surprise.

Mark glares at the two. "And not only that, but thanks to my Prankster ability, which increases my priority and gives me a chance to go first with any status move, I was able to use Copycat first on Trent's Dragon Pulse before canceling his move." Mark explains, gripping his bow as it glows white. "I'm glad to have pulled this off at the right moment." Then his eyes changes from glowing blue to glowing white. He looks at Iris and the others. "Quick, they can't do anything now that I stole Sheer's MP. Now's your chance!"

With no time to think, Iris and the other two look at each other for a moment and nod. The three dash off towards their opponent, Iris' eyes glowing the colors dark blue and light blue while Mat's eyes glow white along with his spear. "FIRE ICE PUNCH!" Iris shouts, her necklace glowing white as she punches the two against the broken down structure wall. The two gasp, yelping in pain before Iris grabs them and throws them behind her.

Jimmy jumps in the air and catches the two, slamming them into each other roughly. The two feel dizzy from the impactive slam, Trent receiving the most pain due to colliding against Sheer's shell. Then Jimmy throws them further into the air, leading them to scream as he lands on the ground. Mark and Mat launch up in the air, Mark forming three shining arrows onto his bow as Mat forms several spears around him.

Claire stares at the two enemies, snarling deeply. "Let me join in on this final blow, too!" She yells before shooting her red Discharge at the two. Trent and Sheer both scream in agony from the attack as Mark and Mat prepare themselves to use their Weapon Moves.

"DOWNPOUR OF A THOUSAND SPEARS!" Mat yells.

"TRIAD SPLINTER!" Mark shouts.

Then the two release their Weapon Moves: Mark's three shining arrows firing at the two with their glittering sparks while Mat's spears roar their way towards the two. The combination of the two Weapon Moves plus Claire's Discharge causes the two opponents to feel more infliction than ever.

Soon, a huge explosion occurs, causing black smoke to form from the attacks. The crowds at Ster Town become anxious and curious of the explosion, all going 'What!?' and 'Huh!?'. After awhile, the smoke begins to fade away as Claire stops using Discharge and Mark and Mat land on the ground swiftly. Mark's eyes stop glowing along with his bow. The same can be said for Mat as well.

Iris' eyes and necklace stop glowing as she and the others stare at the fading smoke, becoming cautious and curious. The smoke reveals Sheer and Trent passed out, leading everyone to sigh in relief afterwards. "They're down…Good riddance." Mat says to himself, panting heavily. Natalie heals herself in time before she and Lucas wake up from their knocked out state, her body ceasing its red outline.

"U-Ugh...What happened?" Lucas asks, rubbing the side of his head.

Claire sees Natalie being awake and gasps. "Mistress!" The Shinx says, immediately goes to hug the Zorua and nuzzle her instantly. "Oh I'm so happy that you're still alive!" Natalie sweatdrops at the nuzzling.

"I'm glad that I'm alive too, Claire." The Zorua says, sighing in relief. Then she takes her attention towards Sheer and Trent, seeing them passed out. Trent glows light blue, his tail beginning to shrink and lose its bushy features. The second spikes on his feet, arms and appendages also shrink, the appendages no longer separating from each other as well. Soon he stops glowing and reverts back to his regular Lucario form, his paw having the Lucarionite under his possession as a result. "Oh. And it seems like we took those two out, finally."

"Pfft, don't you mean me? I mean, I'd been doing all the dirty work on taking care of this two, right?" Lucas lies as he walks next to Trent and folds his arms in determination. Anna and Iris raise their brows at the silly eye-patched Furret.

"You idiot. I saw Iris and the others doing more combat than you'd ever done!" Anna shouts. Lucas looks at her, glancing sternly. Anna blinks for a moment before coming into an realization, sweatdropping. "I-I mean, of course you did some of the work, Lucas! Plenty, hehe…"

"What I thought, mate." He then looks away from the Ninetales as Anna exhales a huge amount of breath.

Soon, Mark's body stops being shrouded by the black, shadowy aura as his eyes stop glowing. At the same time, he begins to hear voices in his head. All of them are speaking at once, so much to the point where he doesn't understand a single one. Then the voices suddenly repeat his name several times. Over and over. Again and again. It's almost as if he's in a constant loop before Iris snaps him out of it by calling his name. "Hmm!? Yeah!?" Mark says, blinking confusedly at the Dragonite.

"I...wanted to ask: How did you do that?" Iris questions the Riolu, Natalie and Claire being next to her.

Mark looks at his paws and thinks for a moment, raising his brow. "I'm...not sure, honestly." Everyone becomes surprised by his answer, all beginning to converse about it.

"Huh...If you don't know, then I'm willing to bet on the fact that either you have a Mythical Power or you're going through some unknown powers like Natalie and Claire are."

"Honestly, I think that it's a Mythical Power. It has to be, since he's just now discovering it. Sure, it could be what Natalie and Claire has but as far as I know, what Mark has...isn't close to being related to what Claire has. At all." Anna converses, shrugging uncomfortably at the thought of what Claire did to those guards from earlier.

"I see." Iris smiles down at the Riolu. "Well little fella, you get to name it. Since you discovered its existence and all. So what will the name be, Mark?"

"Yeah! I'm curious to know!" Natalie says excitedly, leaning close to the Riolu. Mark thinks for a moment, and is about to speak until a voice within his head interrupts him.

" _Name it Shadow Corruption…_ " The voice whispers.

"...Shadow Corruption." Mark confirms, leading the others to be surprised.

"Shadow Corruption? But why that name?" Iris asks. Mark shrugs uncomfortably, looking confused himself. "...Well anyway, I'm happy for you having an MP of your own. And well, this madness being over with, too." Iris smiles warmly.

Soon, grunting noises is heard, leading the others to look at its location. The noise comes from Sheer and Trent, the two getting up weakly and groaning unpleasantly. The group all become tense, Lucas yelping and running away from the two. He gets next to Iris, hiding behind her. "I-I only ran away bravely, o-okay!" Lucas says shakily.

Iris shakes head before speaking. "Man, we hit you two with a Mixturing Move, two Weapon Moves, and a Discharge. _How_ are you not beaten, yet!?" The Dragonite exclaims. Sheer begins to laugh insanely, smiling widely.

"No. I refuse to be beaten. Not by some pesky outsiders of the Cloyster Kingdom. Oh nooo, I refuse!" Sheer yells, staring at the sky. "I! Am Senator Sheer! The highest power that will bring order and get his happiness back! Even if it means to take that of another! You will see. ALL OF YOU WILL!"

"Yeeeaaah...Looks like we arrived to see some crazy dude talking to the sky." A female voice says in a snarky tone, leading everyone to be confused as to where the voice came from. Soon, everyone sees a group of Pokemon arriving at the entrance of the crumbled castle.

The group consist of five Pokemon: A green bandana-wearing Sceptile, a Grovyle that wears a black cape, a Milotic, a cyclops-like creature with a red pupil and a yellow bouquet on the side of her head (Dusknoir), and a bipedal chicken-like creature with mostly a reddish yellow colored body and a red, black marble-like stone being on his right wrist like a watch (Blaziken). The Sceptile also has a marble-like stone much like the Blazikens' on his neck as a necklace, the color of it being mostly lime. The Sceptile seems to be carrying a green bag as well while the gang all blink curiously at him and the five Pokemon, tilting their heads in confusion.

"Why yes, Ebony. That's totally going on my crazy list." The Dusknoir says, giggling softly to herself. Ebony, the black cape Grovyle, raises her brow at the Dusknoir.

"Thought you already listed that before." Ebony folds her arms, taking her eyes back to the group.

"But a Pokemon being crazy while talking to the sky? That's a new one compared to a Pokemon being crazy while talking to the ground."

"Riiight…" Ebony sweatdrops.

"Um excuse me but...who might you guys be?" Iris asks cautiously. Trent looks at the five Pokemon, noticing that they're staring at him before he turns to the side.

 _Ah shit…_ Trent thinks, scratching the back of his head.

"Well I'm happy that you asked, ma'am." The Sceptile says before taking out his Caller from the bag, revealing it towards Iris and the others. He press a yellow button that wasn't present on a Caller before, it revealing an hologram of the words 'Savior Unit'. "The name's Mystery. The Grovyle is Ebony, the Milotic is Helena, the Dusknoir is Gonel and the Blaziken is Leon. We're a part of a special team known as the Savior Unit, working for the Official Protection government."

"WHAT!?" The gang all say in surprise, Lucas trembling a bit.

"Y-You guys w-work for the O-O.P. government?" Lucas asks in a shaky tone.

"Of course. My brother just mentioned that a second ago." The female Grovyle answers in a critical manner, folding her arms as if she's disappointed. "As much as we'd love to explain more about ourselves, we've got more concerning matters to focus on."

"Like what?" Iris questions, raising her brow. Mystery returns the Caller into his bag, the hologram fading away as Ebony points at Trent.

"Like arresting that criminal over there." Trent looks at the Savior Units, chuckling nervously and sweatdropping.

"H-Hi…" The Lucario says, waving shyly at them.

"Why hello to you too, darling." Gonel replies, crossing her arms together. "Been a naughty boy after escaping us, haven't you?" Everyone looks at the Dusknoir, raising their brows and sweatdropping uncomfortably.

"Oookay then." Iris speaks, taking her focus onto Mystery. "Why are you tracking him down?"

"Well you see-"

"For starters, he's a criminal. As I stated earlier." Ebony explains abruptly, interrupting the Sceptile. The bandana Sceptile looks at Ebony and chuckles softly, putting his hand onto her head.

"Right sis, he is indeed a criminal. A highly dangerous one, to be exact." Mystery then looks at Iris and the others, mostly focusing his attention on the Lucario. "This Lucario has committed a numerous amounts of crimes for several years. Those crimes include stealing, impersonating and even taking another Pokemon's life. Rather by killing them because he wants to or…" Mystery squints his eyes at Trent. "Killing them because of cannibalism. In which that is the ultimate forbidden thing to do alongside murdering another." Iris widens her eyes along with the others, all taking their attention towards Trent. Sheer raises his brow, forming an disturbing expression on his face.

"I didn't know that you eat other Pokemon!" Sheer says, feeling rather shocked.

Trent shrugs awkwardly. "Meat Product taste like garbage to me, okay!?" He exclaims, whimpering.

Iris looks to the side with an guilty look on her face, sweatdropping. "Well he's not lying about that..." She says to herself. The Savior Units look at her with raised brow, leading her to shake her head and paws immediately. "I-I mean, I'll still eat them though. Just that I personally don't like them, that's all. Not like I'll eat another Pokemon because of such, hehe…" She laughs nervously, scratching the back of her head as the Units stare sternly at her. "I'll just shut up now."

"Annnyway...we've been tracking this guy down ever since then." Mystery says, him and the Units taking their attention on Trent. Trent gulps and looks at Sheer, wincing uncomfortably.

"Sheer, I thought you jammed the tracking device on my back so that _these_ guys wouldn't appear!" Trent yells, yelping in displeasure.

Sheer goes to immediately look all over the Lucario's back in a panicky pace. "B-But I did! I swear on Arceus himself that I did jam it!" Sheer answers before stopping to see the very, very small device blinking red on Trent's back. "Wait, wh-what!?"

Ebony smirks. "Seems like you didn't jam it enough if we could still see you on our radar, genius." The Grovyle states, her brother taking out the Caller again to reveal a grid-like map visible on its screen. It shows the radar flickering a red dot quickly, meaning they're close to their target.

Anna blinks in surprise. "What the? A Caller can do that!?" The Ninetales says shockingly.

"That's so cool!" Mark yells, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Yeah!" Natalie follows along, wagging her tail happily to the amazement.

The others begin to agree as well while Iris groans uncomfortably. _I really wish Lucas didn't threw mine away now…_ The Dragonite thinks.

Ebony shrugs awkwardly as Mystery puts the Caller back into the bag. "Yes, but only the Pokemon working for the Official Protection can acquire these special kinds of Callers." She states in a bluntly manner, leading the gang to feel down.

"Well so much for me wanting to track down Exo's movement for fun now." Mat says playfully.

"Wait, hey! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY 'FOR FUN'!?" Exo shouts, sweatdropping as Mat chuckles softly.

Iris then interrupts the two with a question. "Say, about that tracking device, I didn't see it anywhere on Trent's back at all when I first met him." She says, creating a good point.

"Well that's because Gonel managed to use one of her gadgets she created, the tracking device, to throw it onto his back during our last encounter with him." Helena explains in a soft, serene tone.

Gonel raises her hand in delight. "Indeed! I crafted that baby up so small to the point where it'll be hard to spot even on a Joltik!" Gonel elaborates joyfully. "However, it's not my only gadget I created." She suddenly forces her hand through her ghostly body and grabs a brown slingshot object. "I also craft Weapon Mischiefs such as this slingshot here and," She uses her other hand to dig something else out of her body, having an black shotgun in that hand. "This painfully to make son of a gun right here. Ha, _gun_. Pun totally not intended."

Iris and the others raise their brows at Gonel, Zeke blinking into curiosity. "Did she just grab those things from her body…?" He asks, looking rather confused.

Helena, Leon and Mystery sweatdrop at the Dusknoir as Ebony puts her hand against her face, shaking her head. "Oh boy, here we go with her rambling about her creations again…" Ebony says, sighing heavily.

Gonel then returns both of the Weapon Mischiefs back into her body, trying to grab something else. "There's also this bomb-like object that I'm in the middle of developing right now." Gonel giggles before taking out a notepad and a quill that has ink at the tip. "Whoops. Wrong thing to grab...then again, I do need to write down this situation on the 'Crazy Things Pokemon Do' list." The Dusknoir goes to write on her notepad. "Guy talking to the sky…" She talks to herself as she writes, the others sweatdropping at her.

 _Man she's weird…_ Ebony thinks, sighing once more. "Anyway, we struggled to find him ever since our last encounter, because the device wanted to cut on and off at random. You can thank those two for toying around with it." She then glances at Trent and Sheer as the Dusknoir finishes writing.

"I...see." Iris responds, nodding slowly.

After that, Trent looks up in the sky to see a quadruped, draconic creature with large red wings, red markings on his throat and on the underside of his long tail, and has mostly a blue body: Salamence. The Salamence also seems to have a marble-like stone strapped onto his forehead with a brown belt as he flaps his wings, looking to be forming flames around his mouth. Trent smirks deviously, sighing in relief afterwards. "Thank goodness my ride is here." He says calmly.

"Your what?" Ebony asks before the Salamence opens his mouth and uses Fire Blast on the group, the star shaped fire aiming between the gang and Trent. Trent grabs Sheer and backs away from the attack as it lands onto the ground, causing Iris and the others to yelp from it. They jump back from the flames, causing the Savior Unit to become alert. "Okay, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM!?"

Helena looks up to the sky, seeing the Salamence floating down towards Trent. "It must've come from that Salamence. It's heading towards our target." Helena answers, fixated by the flames separating the group from Trent and Sheer. "Seems like it used Fire Blast to separate us from the two." Helena shakes her head while closing her eyes. "Luckily for us and not for them: I'm a Water type. So I'll go ahead and put out the flames."

"Good idea." Mystery confirms, seeing the Milotic slither off towards the flames as he and the other Units follow.

Behind the flames, Trent sighs in relief and gives the Salamence a thumbs up. "Thanks for stopping by right on time. For a second there, I thought I was a goner when the Units arrived." The Lucario speaks, chuckling nervously. The Salamence nods firmly at him, giving him a stern look before taking his attention towards Sheer, who's looking quite anxious now.

"Trent, now's my chance to receive my part of the deal!" Sheer explains eagerly, floating close to the two Pokemon. "Let me join you on the Salamence too, please!"

Trent puts his paw against his chin, thinking for a moment. "Hmm…" He notices that the flames are beginning to wear down due to Helena spewing water on it, leading the large barbed Cloyster to fret.

"HURRY, TRENT! WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME!"

"Alright, alright. Just give me a second." Trent goes to whisper to the Salamence, the Salamence leaning the side of his head towards him. Then the Salamence mutters back into the Lucario's ear, looking at Sheer during so.

"WELL? WELL!?"

"Hmm…" Trent shakes his head as he hops onto the Salamence's back. "Sorry, Sheer. Lumani and my pal Skyrider here have been observing you from the Land of Wishes and they agreed that you're not worthy for your wish."

"WHAT!? WHY!?" Sheer's eyes widen in terror from the news, the flames behind him fading more and more.

"He's seen how aggressive and ruthless you are on wanting to achieve your goal. He thinks it'll end up backfiring not only on him but also his entire land as well. Basically saying, you'll bring destruction to his land due to your wish being too...risky, to be honest with ya." Sheer stands there, looking at the ground and becoming completely broken. As if everything around him begins to shatter into pieces as the Salamence, Skyrider, begins to flap his wings. "His decision, dude. Not mine." Trent then grins at him. "It was nice working with you, Sheer. But like you said before: You can't always trust everyone, hmm?" Sheer slowly looks up at the Lucario, a grim look forming across his face as the Lucario salutes him. "Cya later, Feraligatr."

Then the Salamence takes off flying as Sheer bursts out screaming, yelling from the top of his lungs. "CURSE YOU, TRENT! YOU'LL PAY ALONG WITH EVERYONE ELSE!" Sheer shouts, tears constantly streaming down from his face as Helena fully puts out the flames. "ALL OF YOU WILL PAAAY!" Sheer turns around and attempts to attack one of the Units with his spear before the Blaziken kicks the spear away, having it slide across the ground. Soon Gonel gets behind the large barbed Cloyster, wrapping her arms around him and trapping him. Sheer struggles to get out of the Dusknoir's grasp, grunting in the process. "UNHAND ME THIS INSTANT!"

"I don't think so, cray cray." Gonel responds in a teasing tone, giggling afterwards. Mystery notices Trent flying away on his Salamence in the distance, taking out his Caller and sees the rader still going.

"No worries, we'll track him down immediately and-"

"Annnd the radar stops beeping. We lost track of him." Ebony points out, interrupting the Sceptile. Mystery looks at his Caller and notices the red dot no longer present on the grid graph, sighing heavily.

"Maybe next time...Whenever we encounter him again." Mystery says, shaking his head before putting his Caller back into the bag.

"About time that 'highly dangerous criminal' takes that thing off from his back and breaks it. I'm surprised that he didn't get himself killed by a Magikarp with the way he tried to cover up his crimes. Seriously, why is this guy dangerous again?" Ebony puts her hand out while showing a 'Really?' look on her face.

Mystery shrugs at the Grovyle before taking his attention towards the others. "Well, we may have lost our chance at catching Trent but…" He pauses for a moment to look at Sheer, eyeing him. "At least we caught someone who tried to help that criminal escape. An accomplice, to be exact." Sheer glares at the Sceptile angrily before eyeing at the gang.

"I would've gotten away with it if it weren't for them…" Sheer says quietly to himself.

"Oooh he did more than just try to help that evil doer out!" Exo joins in the conversation in a dramatic manner. Mystery and the other Units look at Exo curiously.

"Oh? Such as?" Mystery asks. Exo goes to explain to the Savior Units about the madness Sheer had caused, the Sceptile nodding firmly. "I see. This Cloyster was capable of doing all of that, huh? And even used his Mythical Power as an advantage to let this kingdom be unstable." Mystery walks towards the large barbed Cloyster, eyeing at him. "You sir had dug yourself some deep holes. In other words, you're under arrest. And you have every right to remain silent as anything from this point on will be held against you." Sheer rolls his eyes before everyone hears Brook whimpering, taking their attention towards him and the other six Pokemon.

"Norah, please stay alive!" Brook yells, weeping in sorrow as he holds the female Cloyster close to him. Mat widens his eyes before dashing to the seven, everyone else following along.

"Please m-mother, h-hang in there!" Azure cries out, nudging against her mother's shell.

"I...I can't…" Norah says weakly, shutting her eyes slightly. Mat gets closer to her, gritting his teeth in anxiety.

"Don't say that, Norah. Just stay strong and fight this, okay? You'll make it." Mat replies, a tear beginning to slide down from his face. Sheer glances at Mat, shaking his head.

"See how it feels to lose your happiness, you fool…" Sheer speaks in a menacing tone. Mat looks at him, glaring menacingly himself before Norah catches his attention by coughing.

"D-Don't listen t-to him, Mat...You can find happiness in anything besides just your loved ones." The female Cloyster says, whimpering in pain. "I remember all the good times we had together...The fun and amazing moments. And even if we encounter negative moments such as these, we still pulled through with it. Together..."

Mat forms more tears as he shakes his head. "You'll be fine, Norah! Please!" He says before Natalie whimpers, immediately dashing away from Iris and Claire.

"Oh no way am I letting this lady die!" Natalie says, reaching towards the female Cloyster's location. She has her paws forming red outlines around them again, putting them onto the Cloyster's body. As she attempts to heal her, she notices that her body isn't forming the red outline unlike the others she had healed. Meaning, she's not healing her. "Hmm!?" The Zorua becomes confused before attempting to heal her once more. "I-I can't heal her!"

"What!? Why's that!?" Anna questions, concern filling throughout her mind. Natalie shakes her head in response.

"I-I don't know…" The Zorua whines, trying her best to heal her but continuing to not see the red outline on Norah. Claire walks towards Natalie, putting her paw on her back and shaking her head.

"Her time is already up, mistress." Claire speaks in a sorrow tone. "It is too late for her…"

Natalie and Mat look at the Shinx, both forming horror on their faces as Natalie continues the healing process. "N-NO! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT! I CAN SAVE HER! I KNOW THAT I CAN!" Natalie shouts, tears streaming down. "PLEASE STAY ALIVE, NORAH!"

As the group all continue to stare at the situation going on, the Pokemon egg within Anna's possession begins to move. "Hmm?" Anna wonders, looking down at the egg. Norah weakly looks at the egg as well, seeing it crack slightly before glowing white. Everyone looks at the egg shining brightly and gazes at it in awe. "Whoa…" Anna says to herself, blinking in surprise.

Soon the egg hatches and stops glowing, revealing an amphibious quadruped creature with a blue body, light-blue underside, a blue fin on top of his head and a light-blue tail: Mudkip. The Mudkip blinks adorably, staring at everyone that's currently gazing at his attention. "Wow...I've never seen a newborn being hatched in my life until now…" Iris says, staring at it in shock.

"Same here…" Natalie replies to the Dragonite's comment, her and the others feeling amazed by the sight of the newborn Pokemon.

Norah gazes at the Mudkip and smiles weakly yet warmly. "Wh-What a relief...After everything I had to endure in this kingdom, I at least get to witnessed a newborn at the end…It warms my heart..." Norah speaks before coughing up more blood, gasping heavily. Mat grits his teeth worriedly.

"Norah!" The male Cloyster yells, more tears beginning to slide down his face. Norah looks at Mat and smiles warmly.

"You're so much better than my husband, Mat...Who left me after Azure was born...You supported me during that dreadful time...and I felt so many warmths because of it."

"Norah!" Mat leans his face close to Norah's, whimpering in sorrows. "Please don't…"

"Mat...Take care of my father and daughter. For my goodness sake, please...I wished I could've said these phrases before this happened...Mat, I-" Norah pauses for a moment to lean her face against Mats', pressing her lips against his gently. Mat's eyes widen as the tears continues its waterfall stream of depression. Norah closes her eyes during the gentle kiss, a single tear sliding down across her face. She pulls back from the kiss and sighs. "I love you...From the bottom of my heart, I truly...do…" Then the female Cloyster lies down on her back, no longer gasping for air nor breathing. Her body remains completely still as she forms a smile on her face, becoming nothing else but a mere corpse of someone dearly. Mat stands there, his eyes widening in petrification.

"NORAH!"

This leads Natalie to attempt to heal her once more, tears streaming down her face as sadness spreads across everyone. Even the folks at Cloy Town become depressed by what they're witnessing. "NO! I CAN REVIVE HER! I CAN DO THAT, RIGHT!?" Natalie yells, taking her attention towards Claire. "R-RIGHT!?"

"Mistress…" Claire pauses before patting the Zorua on her back. "Your powers can only heal your allies...not revive them." The Shinx then looks at the dead Cloyster, seeing Azure, Brook and Mat weeping in sorrow. "I'm sorry…" Soon Natalie begins to burst into tears, the red outline on her paws fading at the same time.

Iris grits her teeth and punches the ground, shaking her head. "Dammit!" She yells loud enough for the others to hear.

"Mommy!" The Shellder cries, weeping onto Brook's outer shell. The Mudkip looks at the situation going on before feeling uncomfortable and whining himself, tears streaming down immediately from his eyes. Mystery and the other Units just look down at the ground, shaking their heads. While this happens, Ashen begins to wake up from his knocked out state, groaning uncomfortably as he rubs the back of his head.

"What...happened?" Ashen asks before seeing Anna looking down. "Hmm? What's wrong with you?" He then notices the Mudkip and yelps. "H-Huh!? Where did this Mudkip come from and…" He looks around and sees everyone except for Sheer feeling down, scratching the side of his head. "Oh…"

"Ashen...A bunch of things happened while you were unconscious…" Anna answers, sniffling afterwards. "A bunch…"

. . .

"Your highness, you're WHAT!?" Exo shouts, looking down at the king.

"Yes. I'm turning myself in for the chaos I've brought upon this kingdom." Cocoon says in a firm tone, loud enough for the folks in Ster Town to hear it. "So I'm hereby resigning from being king of the Cloyster Kingdom." This surprises everyone in the town, leading to them conversing about the situation.

"But sir, you can't do this! We need your ruling in order for the kingdom to continue functioning!"

Cocoon looks up at Exo, sighing heavily. "Exo, it's my fault this kingdom was treated unfairly. From the rules to the favoritism. It was wrong of me to do such a thing because of the influences I received from Sheer. Not only that but my grief over Brisk's death was the main reason why I failed to treat this kingdom the way it was supposed to be treated." Cocoon then takes his eyes onto Iris and her crew, who are standing next to each other at the moment. He sees Anna having the Mudkip on her back as he continues speaking. "If it weren't for these nine entering my kingdom, I would've continued the kingdom the way it is, and Sheer would've further filled my head with his lies. I thank them truly for preventing the kingdom from becoming worse."

"No problem, mate." Lucas says calmly.

Cocoon then shakes his head. "But despite that, I doubt that'll give this kingdom some justice unless I was off the throne...In my eyes, this kingdom would never forgive me because of the damaged I've done to it over my emotions…"

"Sir…" Exo replies calmly before whimpering. Mystery walks towards Exo and Cocoon, having a concerned look on his face.

"Now Cocoon, correct? Are you certain about this decision? Because there's a chance that you may not see the light of day from the same imprisonment Sheer is about to receive." Mystery asks in a careful manner. Cocoon nods sternly, sighing sorrowfully.

"I don't care if I do. As long as it keeps me away from harming this kingdom and anyone else ever again, I don't mind them keeping me in...whatever imprisonment the government has in store for me."

Mystery looks at Ebony and the other Units for a moment, seeing them nod firmly at him. Afterwards, he nods back and stares at Cocoon, taking him off of Exo's possession. "Alright then. I suppose that we'll be taking our leave now."

"Wait, before you go, there's something I'd like to say."

"Hmm?"

Cocoon turns his attention towards Mat, seeing him staring down at Norah's body. "I would like to have Mat be the new ruler of the Cloyster Kingdom."

"WHAT!?" Exo and everyone else in Ster Town yell in shock. The crew and Mat all look surprised at the shiny Cloyster's decision.

"You deserve it, Mat. With the amount of hard work you had to go through to become a senator, the rewards given to Sheer instead of the one who truly deserved them, and even despite all the things I've done to you and the kingdom, you still cared about me…" Cocoon sighs and looks down. "Again, I wanted to apologize for everything I've done to this kingdom...including you too, Mat. I probably didn't pay you a reasonable amount of pokedollars, huh?"

"Yeah, you sure didn't." Exo mumbles, sweatdropping. _Seriously, 5 pokedollars a week is just unnecessary. Might as well work at a lower paying job with that kind of salary…_

"Anyway, I can understand if you or anyone at the kingdom wouldn't forgive me. Just take this opportunity as me making it up to you." Cocoon smiles softly. "And I would give you the crown and staff right now but...they're lost within the ruined castle. Apologies for that as well." The shiny Cloyster chuckles nervously before sweatdropping. Mat looks to the side for a moment before nodding.

"Alright...I'll take this offer then. It'll be tough since my love is gone and the kingdom itself still needs to be fixed but...I'll pull through. Like I always have." Mat says firmly. Sheer rolls his eyes at him.

"You will break just like I did. You will." Sheer replies to Mat, glancing at him. Gonel shakes the large barbed Cloyster for a bit, causing him to become dizzy.

"Shush." Gonel says in a stern tone.

Soon, Iris comes into a realization. "Say Mystery, you guys came from the Zero Cave, right?" She asks curiously. The Sceptile looks at her and nods.

"Yes. Why do you ask?" He says in a peculiar manner.

"Because I was wondering if there's a town that's beyond that cave. If so, I hope that town has a salesman giving away ships."

"Well that's a two yes for you, lady: One for the town, another for the ship." Mystery smiles at the Dragonite. Iris sighs in relief.

"Thank goodness. Mind leading us there? If you Savior Units are okay with that."

"Sorry ma'am but we're not esco-"

"Certainly. We wouldn't mind guiding a few lost travelers. After all, we are the _Savior_ Units." Mystery interrupts the Grovyle, staring at her. "Right?" Ebony looks back and folds her arms.

"Sure, whatever you say, 'boss'." The Grovyle says in a sarcastic tone.

"Anyway, we would use the Caller to teleport us to our location since we'd visit it before. But sadly, the teleportation process could only hold five Pokemon at a time." Mystery explains.

"Wait, Callers can do that? ...Or is it just exclusive to you guy's Callers?" Iris asks.

"Oh no. All Callers can have access to teleportation after visiting an new location. But again, it can only hold up to five Pokemon to pull that off."

"Ah...I see." Iris soon turns towards Mat. "Well, I guess this is farewell…"

Mat looks off to Brook and Azure being close to the female Cloyster's body, sighing heavily. "Yeah. This is farewell."

"We hope you succeed at taking care of your kingdom, Mat." Cerise says. Mat looks at the canine and nods.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to take care of this kingdom along with Norah's father and daughter. I promise." Mat then takes his attention on Cocoon. "And sir…" He lifts his spear up to salute him, having the tip of it above his head. "The folks of this kingdom may not forgive you, but I do. Despite the many things you and Sheer did to this kingdom, I know that deep down you are a good person...That was just trapped inside of an enclosed shell of his own, never to open that shell again because of an incident that happened years ago…"

Zeke widens his eyes at what Mat said. "Whoa...That's quite deep." He says in astonishment.

Cocoon gasps for a moment before tearing up. "Mat…" He says in a sorrow tone, tears beginning to drip from his face.

Soon, Iris and the crew wave their goodbyes to Mat, following the Savior Unit on the pathway that leads to the Zero Forest. Iris holds the Mudkip in her possession as she looks at the Furret. "Hey Lucas, um…" She pauses for a moment, looking off to the side. "I wanted to say that I'm…"

"Hmm?" Lucas looks up at the Dragonite curiously.

"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier." The crew looks at her after she says that, Anna sighing softly.

"Well Iris, I-"

"DO NOT ACCEPT YOUR APOLOGY, MATE!" Lucas shouts, interrupting the Ninetales. "Your rude selfishness has led you down a path of neverending rage in my eyes! You treated _MY_ work like it was some kind of trash! And then outright said we were useless to us when we took on those guards!" Iris squints her eyes at him and sweatdrops.

"Oh come on! I'm really being sorry for the way I acted! I know it was wrong and I feel foolish for doing such!"

"Nope. Not gonna forgive ya!"

"Lucas!" Then Iris and Lucas get into an argument as the others shrug uncomfortably at them. Mystery and Ebony watch the two chat and look at each other.

"Huh...This kinda reminds me of the time you and I had an argument over something I did." Mystery says, chuckling softly. Ebony sighs heavily.

"Don't remind me of that stupid moment of yours, please." The Grovyle replies, folding her arms. "That was such an embarrassment when you and I wanted the same berry, brother."

As the group continues on their path, Mat turns his attention to Zeke and hires him as a senator, leading him to be excited. He soon commands the guards in Ster Town to take Norah to the burial area and guide her family to live in his home. During all of this, he looks up at the blue sky and smiles softly, closing his eyes before thinking, _It's over...It's finally over. I'll miss you dearly, Norah. But I know for a fact that I'll always cherish you within my heart...and my soul._ Mat then puts his spear against himself, opening his eyes afterwards. _Always…_

. . .

Meanwhile at the Corruption Realm, everyone of the Supernova Gale seems to be staring at a huge display screen in front of them. The screen is being projected by Misstrike from her pure black eyes, the screen showcasing the crew and the Savior Units traveling on foot as Yuki begins to speak. "After observing these pests, this Sheer fella has been the most intriguing of them all." He says in a firm tone, being in the middle of the group. The Aegislash has his eye on the large barbed Cloyster, rubbing his ghost-like hands against each other while in his shield form. "He'll be a great addition to our organization, wouldn't you agree?"

Clemence nods. "Certainly, my lord. He's capable of putting that group in its place most of the time." She agrees. Everyone else begin to agree as well.

Alro scratches the side of his head. "Although, I am mostly curious as to how the heck Misstrike can show us this." Alro says, blinking confusedly at the Mismagius. Misstrike looks at the Malamar, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"Magic." The Mismagius answers with no problem, leading Alro to sweatdrop.

"Riiight…"

Dead Snow enters the conversation. "Back to the point, I'm convinced that the Riolu may be of interest to us now." The Glaceon says. Alro raises his brow at the Glaceon as Yuki looks at her in concern.

"And why do you say that?" Yuki asks.

"Yeah. Why would we want to be interested in that brat? Who almost killed me, no less." Alro joins in, folding his arms.

The red-wristband wearing Glaceon glances at Alro. "Well to be blunt with you: He has an MP that's...honestly as intriguing as Sheer's MP. Possibly more intriguing." She explains.

"Okay, so?"

"Look, even if you hate that Riolu, you can't deny the fact that his powers could be very useful to us."

"Errrm…" Alro takes his attention to the Aegislash. "What do you think, sir?" Yuki looks at the two and thinks for a moment.

"Come to think of it...she may have a point." Yuki confirms.

"WHAT!?" Alro shouts in surprise.

"Being able to steal another Pokemon's Mythical Power is something that'll aid us significantly...We need him to be recruited. Because with him on our side, we'll most definitely be invincible." Yuki nods, looking up at the bleak, dark sky. "Thus making it easier to achieve my goal." He then looks back at the group. "We'll ambush them when they enter the Zero Cave. That way, we can kidnap the two and possibly get the required MMs and WM I wanted. Understood?"

"But my lo-"

"I don't care if you hate him or not, Alro. His Mythical Power is too important to even reject this opportunity."

Alro then sighs heavily while looking down, nodding along with everyone else. "Yes sir." Alro and the others say in a firm tone. Clemence pats Alro on the back in a gentle manner.

"Oh it'll be alright. Surely you'll get along with the Riolu fella once we have him under control." The female Malamar says, smiling warmly.

"I guess…" Alro replies, staring at the display screen. Misstrike's eyes slowly change to their regular color and the screen itself began to fade away. Before it vanishes entirely, Sebastian sees Helena traveling with the crew and the Units, forming a concern look on his face.

 _Is that...?_ Sebastian thinks to himself before Nexus goes to tap him gently.

"Is something wrong?" The Toxicroak asks in a concerned manner. Sebastian looks at him for a moment before shaking his head.

"It's...nothing, really…"

 _End of the Cloyster Kingdom Arc._

 _End of Chapter 20._


	22. Chapter 21

**Author's note: THE FANFIC IS NOT DEAD, FOLKS! I'm not sure if many of you are aware but if you saw my homepage, I was basically taking a break from the fanfic a couple of months ago. But here I am now with a new chapter ready to showcase to you all. Although, I should point out that I advise you readers to re-read prologue to chapter 12. Mainly due to me making some major story changes within those chapters and fixing some grammar issues. Or you can read this chapter and read those afterwards. Either option could work. I know that I've done this before and I sincerely apologize for that. This is the final time I'll ever do this in my fanfic, or any fanfic I create in general. From here on, I'm keeping the things the way they are, even if I missed any previous errors in the story.**

 **However, if you're reading this message in the future and is a new reader to this fanfic, then ignore this message.**

 **Also, for now on I will release two chapters monthly on any Fridays or Saturdays instead of one. Because of me feeling confident of managing my monthly schedule upload. With that being said, enjoy everyone. And as always, let me know what you think about the fanfic so far and give it a favorite if you enjoy it. It means a lot to me, honestly.**

 **It's good to finally be back to producing new chapters again. n_n**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: The Zero Cave Ambush! Disaster Among the Crew!**

Everyone continues down the pathway towards the Zero Cave, all talking among each other. They then take their attention to the Grovyle and the Sceptile.

"So what's it like working for the O.P. government?" Iris questions, cradling the Mudkip in her arms.

"It's a wonderful experience working alongside the Official Protection government. Units get along quite splendidly with them and we're willing to take part in any jobs they assign us to. Thus, we put in the best of efforts." Mystery explains, smiling softly at the Dragonite.

"Ooor we just _have_ to do the job in order to live our lives healthy outside of the government. Not like we have a choice. Can't exactly refuse a job request when it provides us income, anyways." Ebony follows along bluntly, staring up at her brother. "In other words, our relationship with the government ultimately means nothing, no matter how many jobs we accomplish."

"Oh don't be so sour, Ebony. We already got this criminal right here to take that role." Gonel says, joining in the conversation as she chuckles to herself. Sheer, the broken large barbed Cloyster, rolls his eyes at the Dusknoir, ignoring her comment as he's being held by her. "And besides, at least we get paid wealthily enough, even if our relationship with them doesn't go swell."

Ebony stares at the yellow bouquet Dusknoir, shrugging. "I feel like I already mentioned that point before, Gonel..."

"Have you? Oh my mistake, then." Gonel looks down at Sheer. "Doesn't mean that you have to always be so blunt and sour about things. Try to lighten up a bit and not end up becoming insane like this maniac here."

Ebony shrugs once more and glances ahead of her. "Whatever you say, miss happy. Don't come crying to me when life comes striking you with lightning out of nowhere."

Mystery chuckles softly, staring down at Ebony while carrying Cocoon and his broken Cloyster shells. "She is right though, sis. You don't have to take everything so seriously." The Sceptile explains. "Sometimes, life can lay it easy on you and-"

"So you want to know what the Savior Unit is all about?" Ebony asks Iris in a rather annoyed yet high-pitched tone, interrupting Mystery.

The Sceptile sweatdrops. _Of course she would pull that stunt off..._ Mystery thinks to himself, sighing afterwards.

"Um, sure?" Iris answers, confused by the sudden topic change as she and the others seem to be close to the cave up ahead.

"We're basically about saving others in need and putting criminals to justice." Ebony waves her hand around while explaining, her eyes also closed. "Of course, these tasks are requested by the government so for the most part, we may have to temporarily set the previous request aside for another depending on the situation."

"I see."

Mystery sighs and stares at his sister. "Why yes, Ebony. That is exactly what the Savior Unit is about..." He spokes quite blankly, sweatdropping. "You didn't have to interrupt our previous conversation though."

Ebony looks at the Sceptile. "What do you mean? I was just doing my part of the job on informing civilians, that's all."

Mystery shakes his head at the Grovyle, sighing again. "I'm 'certain' that you were." He then takes his attention towards the Mudkip, who's staring at him and the other two in confusion. "So Iris, what are you going to do with the newborn Mudkip?" He asks the Dragonite. Iris looks down at the Mudkip and shrugs.

"I'm...not sure, honestly." She answers.

Mystery puts his hand against his chin. "Hmm. Perhaps you can let us take the baby to the orphanage? According to what you've informed us about it being born without its parents."

"Well sur-"

"Nope, we'll take care of it." Anna says, intruding the conversation.

Iris blinks confusedly and stares at the Ninetales. "Why? We haven't even thought about how we'll take care of this Mudkip...Nor have we thought of a name for it."

Anna shrugs before looking at Mark and Natalie. "Honestly, whenever I look after Mark and Natalie, I feel quite...relieved. Relieved at partaking in a task to protect these kids at all cost." Anna explains, smiling warmly to herself. "It makes me feel as though I'm not a useless adult."

Iris, Mystery and Ebony look at each other for a moment, feeling quite unsure about the Ninetales' explanation before taking their eyes back onto her. "I mean, we already have a lot of us as a group to look after. Are you certain that we should keep the Mudkip?" Iris asks cautiously. Anna looks at her and nods calmly.

"I'm positive. I want to help the Mudkip grow and experience life to the fullest under our hands...or paws, I should say." Anna giggles to herself softly before continuing speaking. "Maybe it could learn a thing or two from us. Or we experience something we never know of from it. Who knows, really?"

Iris looks at the Mudkip, seeing him staring back at her in a curious manner. She then takes her eyes onto Mystery, nodding her head firmly. "Nevermind what I said earlier. We'll take care of the Mudkip to the best of our abilities." She says to him, confidence sprawling throughout her body.

The Sceptile looks back and nods. "Alright. Whenever you change your mind, however, just contact me or someone trustworthy...when you get a Caller, of course." He says calmly to her. Iris nods once more, cradling the Mudkip in a serene manner. Soon, everyone reaches the cave in Zero Forest, stopping themselves within their paths to look at each other.

"Hey, are those purple lights I'm seeing?" Natalie asks, pointing at the brightly lit cave.

"How about stepping inside to find out? Instead of standing out here and asking questions, in which the answers are literally in front of us." Ebony states, adjusting her black cape behind her.

"Oh silly Ebony. It's called being curious. How can you be curious without asking questions first?" Gonel responds to the Grovyle.

"Curiosity kills the Meowth, anyways." Sheer mumbles to himself before being shaken harshly by the Dusknoir.

"You're supposed to remain silent, criminal." Gonel says, narrowing her eyes down at him as the broken barbed Cloyster becomes dizzy from the rapid shake. "But I do agree with you on one thing, Ebony: We should investigate to find our answer. So enough of the chatting and let's go exploring!" The Dusknoir enters the Zero Cave first, floating away in excitement as the others follow along.

After a few moments later, everyone stops in their tracks to marvel at the inside of the Zero Cave. "Whoa..." Cerise says to himself, the green 'leash' canine aweing at what he's witnessing.

There're a ton of crystals scattered all over the cave, all shining brightly at the group. Many of the crystals come in various size and shapes, the purple lights emitting from them acting as a way to provide light for the cave. The cave also contains some rocks next to the crystals and a few stalactites. Anna gasps at the crystals, admiring their purple lights.

"Oh my goodness...This cave. It looks-"

"Quite beautiful, mate!" Lucas finishes the Ninetales' sentence, the Furret rubbing against the crystals eagerly. "They even feel smooth, too!"

"They're made out of rocks, darling. Of course they'll be smooth." Gonel says, revealing an joyful expression on her face.

"Well not all rocks are smooth. They can sometimes feel rough." Ebony explains. The Dusknoir looks at the Grovyle.

"Right. But so can the crystals, too. Depending on the type of crystals, I assume."

Everyone continues to wander around and admire the crystals in the cave, the Mudkip himself even waving his arms in joy at the crystals. Iris looks down at the Mudkip and smiles softly.

"You like those crystals too, huh?" The Dragonite says, seeing the newborn nodding in response. Iris giggles softly and looks in front of her, seeing Natalie, Mark and Claire walking together like a group of younglings on their way to their destination.

"Man, just seeing this much light in a cave reminds me of the time we journeyed inside of Star Cavern, Mark." Natalie says in amazement to the crystals.

"Yeah...Those were amazing times, I suppose..." Mark says, looking off to the side. The Zorua notices the sorrow look on the Riolu's face before nuzzling him.

"Oh come on, Mark. I know that Carrie has been with us during that exploration. You don't need to always feel down whenever we're remembering something amazing involving your sister..."

"Hmmm..." Mark sighs before smiling weakly at Natalie. "Al-Alright then...I'll...try to lighten up."

Natalie smiles back as Claire looks at the two confusedly. "Star Cavern? What's that?" Claire asks the Zorua calmly.

Natalie takes her eyes onto the Shinx. "Oh. Well it's..." Natalie goes to talk to the Shinx about the Star Cavern as Leon, the Blaziken, stares at the crew quietly. Helena, next to the Blaziken, looks at them as well, smiling warmly.

"Seems like they really do enjoy seeing the crystals in this cave." Helena says in a soft tone. "I don't blame them. The lights provided from the crystals give this cave beauty and guidance, after all. I could only imagine if this cave didn't have those crystals, it would be difficult to see." The Blaziken nods at the Milotic, admiring the crystals himself. The two then stop walking, noticing two pathways in front of them. "Hmm?" Helena tilts her head in confusion. "That's...strange."

Leon looks behind him and holds up his hand for the others to stop, leading everyone to look at him and the Milotic. "What seems to be the problem?" Jimmy asks in a curious manner.

"Yeah, what's the hold up, mate?" Lucas joins along while carrying some small crystals in his hands.

Ashen notices the crystals in his arms. "Um-"

"I just wanted to keep some of these, alright?" Lucas says, interrupting the Linoone.

"Uh...alright then."

The two then take their eyes onto Mystery and the rest of the Savior Units, seeing Mystery walking close to Helena and Leon. "There're two pathways in the Zero Cave instead of one." Helena says, answering the Heracross' question.

"Two pathways?" Ebony says confusedly, taking her eyes onto Gonel. "I thought there was only one pathway in this cave."

Gonel thinks to herself, looking quite perplexed by the pathways. "I...have no idea why there're two paths when there used to be one...Strange." She states, looking at the pathways in a suspicious manner. She puts her ghostly hand underneath her 'chin'. "Now how are we going to reach our location?"

"Maybe we should split up?" Ashen suggests in a calm tone. Anna looks at him and shakes her head immediately.

"Absolutely not!" The Ninetales says in disapproval. "Splitting up generally leads to the group getting lost."

"Well how would you know that, Anna? You've never been through this cave before so how are you certain that we'll get lost if the other pathway _could_ lead back to the next?" Ebony says in a censorious manner, folding her arms in dissatisfaction.

Lucas stares at the Grovyle tensely, having his paw against his chin. "You know...She may have a point." He says before blinking to himself in confusion. "...I think..."

Anna rolls her eyes at the Furret before speaking. "I mean, you say that while _you_ guys were the ones that went through this cave before. So..."

"Ooo. Now Anna is the one carrying the point here." Lucas says, staring at the two conversing with each other.

Ebony taps her finger onto her arm while staring at the Ninetales with the yellow earrings. "Right. But when _we_ went through this cave, there used to be one pathway, _not_ _two_. Therefore, _your_ claim is invalid."

Anna frowns at the Grovyle as Lucas gasps in suspense. "YIKES! She snatches that point like a dynamite!" Lucas shouts, leading everyone to look at him in a peculiar manner.

"Sir, are you okay over there?" Ebony asks, raising her brow at the eye-patched Furret.

"Haha...Sorry about that." He turns to stare at Anna adorably, knowing that she wouldn't mention a single cruel word to him.

Anna sighs and glances at the Grovyle. "Look, I'm just saying that it's better if we all go down one of these pathways together. Just so we could watch each other's backs easily. You said it yourself. This cave used to have one pathway, right? So maybe something doesn't seem right. Like maybe one of the pathways could be fake or lead to a trap." Anna explains.

Ebony is about to say something until Mystery interferes. "I agree with her, actually. If one of these pathways lead to a trap, then it's best if we prepare for it as a group rather than as separate."

"Yes. Who knows what disaster it'll cause if we were unable to save each other during separation?" Helena points out, everyone except for Ebony beginning to agree.

The Grovyle sighs and shakes her head, shrugging before putting her hands on her hips. "Fine. We'll go with her way of thinking, I suppose." She says, Anna raising her brow at her. _Not like anyone would listen to a teenager, anyways..._

"With that said, we'll stick together and choose which pathway to go to!" Gonel exclaims excitedly before glaring at the right path. "I'm honestly feeling the left path. Something about the right seems...off. Though I can't quite tell what it is." She notices the right path looking unstable and hazy compared to the left being precise and clear. The group all look at the right path before the left, thinking for a moment. They then agree with the Dusknoir.

"Yeeeah...That pathway looks like an abomination in comparison. We should take the left." Jimmy says in approval. Soon, everyone begins walking down the left pathway, all continuing to chat with each other along the way.

Lucas walks up to Anna and nudges her with his elbow. "That was quite the Point Making Tournament you two had earlier, mate. I could give you a trophy if I have one." He says in a teasing tone, Anna staring at him instantly.

"Shut up, Lucas." The Ninetales mutters.

"What was that? Mind repeating that, again?"

Anna smacks her lips and sighs. "I mean, that's so sweet of you to consider that, Lucas."

Lucas randomly pats Anna on the back. "That's more like it!"

Cerise, Iris and Ashen look at the Furret teasing the Ninetales before shaking their heads and smiling at his silliness. As the group proceeds onward, Jimmy notices that the light by the corner of his eyes is fading away each time he walks forward.

"Hmm?" The Heracross says, looking behind him. He sees the crystals no longer glowing purple light, leaving the cave behind him to become night. "Uh...everyone."

The group stops walking and looks at the Heracross. "What is it, Jimmy?" Iris asks.

Jimmy points his nails towards the darkness. "Notice something obscure about the path we came from?"

Everyone looks at the darkness as well, all but Lucas beginning to spot the unordinary. "I don't know what you on about, Jimmy." Lucas says, scratching the side of his head. "All I see is nothing but...crystals? Wait, I thought there were crystals from that path...And why is it dark down there?" The Furret becomes even more perplexed as everyone else start to become suspicious of the area.

"Those crystals back there were providing light for the cave...Now they aren't..." Mark says before taking his bow off from his back slowly.

Claire looks around suspiciously. "Something doesn't seem right..." The Shinx says, eyeing each and every corner.

"First the two pathways, now this." Ebony says, the leaves on her wrists beginning to glow green. "Something's going on here. And I'm not liking it one bit."

Soon, the group all notice that the crystals in the direction they're heading stop shining as well, their purple lights beginning to fade. Everyone starts to become tense from the crystal lights fading, the Mudkip himself beginning to shake in fear. "Gr-Great! Those lights, too!?" Lucas says, sticking close behind his brother. Ashen and the others stare in front of them, feeling quite unnerved by the whole situation.

During the situation, all of the crystals begin to glow again. This time however, they glow a menacing dark grey instead of their usual purple. At the same time, a dark mist begins to form next to the Blaziken. Leon looks to the side and notices the mist, seeing a figure emerging from the mist. The figure turns out to be a Tyranitar, him launching his arm forward as multiple light blue stalagmites start erecting from the ground one after another towards the black marble wrist wearing Blaziken: Stone Edge. Leon widens his eyes from the sudden attack before jumping to the side, curling his body as the row stalagmites begin curving their path and shoot the Blaziken towards and against the ceiling. He then lands on the ground swiftly, glancing at the Tyranitar as the gang become surprised by the Tyranitar appearance.

"Leon! Are you alright!?" Helena yells, looking shocked at her companion having taken that hit. Leon, hopping back onto his feet, nods his head, gripping his fists in preparation.

Within a flash, more dark mists form from each side of the group, each firing off the same rows of erecting light blue stalagmites at them. Everyone attempts to dodge the attacks, with Lucas, Ashen, Jimmy, and Claire being the ones hit by them. "Gah!" The four yelp, Jimmy beginning to shield himself against the next few Stone Edges with his arms while the other three dodge them this time. Soon the stalagmites stop being created as everyone huddles up in one pile, all having their backs against each other. They see multiple Tyranitars exiting out of the mists, surrounding the group in a circle.

"What's the meaning of this foul visit!?" Jimmy exclaims, getting himself in a battle stance.

"In other words: What the hell is going on!?" Anna yells, snarling at the Tyranitars while in front of Iris, Mark, Natalie, and Claire.

Then everyone notices one more mist beginning to form in front of them, this one being larger than the previous ones. Ebony sees the coloration of the mist, lifting her hands up slightly. _Those...mists. Could they be...?_ She thinks to herself, she and the others seeing ten figures emerging from the mist.

After the huge mist vanishes, the figures reveal themselves to be Yuki, Alro, Clemence, Sebastian, Reckless, Dead Snow, Nexus, Misstrike, Corruption, and Tron. Tron, the Raichu, waves his two yellow submachine guns at the group in joy while Dead Snow (Glaceon), Sebastian (Serperior), and Nexus (Toxicroak) stare at them menacingly. Reckless, the Ursaring, tosses his Flame Orb constantly and grins deviously at the group, cocking his head back. Alro and Clemence have their arms crossed, the Malamars simply smirking at them. Corruption smirks at the group as well, the Magmortar holding his arm up and cocking it as if it were a gun. "Hello, you beautiful creatures." Misstrike says in a calm tone, leading the group to become stunned by the Supernova Gale's appearance. "It's a pleasure running into you again, Iris and co." The Mismagius tilts her head slightly before giggling, covering her mouth while doing such.

Mystery, Ebony and Helena glance at the Gales, preparing themselves along with the others. "It's them..." Iris says, snarling at the Gales. Mystery looks at the Dragonite in curiosity.

"You know this group?" The Sceptile asks.

Iris nods firmly. "Yes. Me and the others fought these guys a while back when protecting Verdant Village. Do you know them as well?"

"Yes." Mystery's 'leaves' begin to glow green. "More so the Mismagius, two Malamars, Glaceon and Raichu. They're responsible for stealing an unstable sword from the government's base in Snowy Mountain."

"I see."

"Not sure about the Serperior, Toxicroak, Magmortar, Ursaring and the Aegislash but seeing as how they came from the mist as well, they may be up to no good." As the two group stare at each other menacingly, Helena takes her attention towards Sebastian and gasps softly. The Milotic's eyes widen in shock and anger, glaring intensely at the Serperior. Leon notices the look on the Milotic's face, seeing the pure grudge spreading throughout her face. Sebastian looks back at her before looking away immediately, glancing off to the side.

Tron chuckles as he stops waving. "How cool of you guys to acknowledge us." He says, spinning his two Weapon Mischiefs around. Yuki floats in front of the Gales, pressing his 'fingers' against each other in a sinister manner.

"You all may have known about my group of unknowns, especially the Dragonite and her friends over there." The Aegislash says in a calm yet intimidating tone, taking his eyes on Iris and her crew. The gang stares intensely at the Aegislash before he continues to speak. "It would be useless to introduce my organization because of this. But I'll reiterate for the sole purpose of jogging your imperfect memories: We're the Supernova Gale. And I, Yuki the Aegislash," He pauses for a moment to stare at the group, his purple eyes spreading a message of fear and tyranny at them. "...Am their leader."

Iris blinks at the name 'Yuki', looking off to the side. _Yuki the...Aegislash? I...feel like I recognize that name before._ She thinks to herself, her mind going deep in thought as the others remain focused on the Gales and their minions.

"Well then, Yuki, what do you want from us?" Anna asks, glaring at the Aegislash.

Yuki closes his eyes, having his ghostly 'hands' together. "A couple of things: Your Mischiefs, the Riolu and the barbless Cloyster." He answers, leading Sheer to take his interest towards him.

"Did you say Mischiefs?" Mystery asks, confusion sprawling throughout his face.

"Precisely: The Weapon Mischief from the Riolu and the three Marvel Mischiefs from those three." Yuki glares at Iris, Anna, and Jimmy.

"Wait, those are Marvel Mischiefs?" Mystery says, looking at the Dragonite. Iris looks to the side, shrugging.

"Yeeaah...They are. That's another reason why these guys attacked us..." Iris says, putting her paw on her arm.

"I...see." Mystery and the rest of the Units look at the three Pokemon in a peculiar manner.

Cerise takes his attention towards Mark. "And why do they want Mark?" He says, seeing Natalie getting in front of the Riolu.

"Well whatever the case may be, they're not taking him away!" Natalie shouts, slamming her paw to the ground afterwards.

"Yeah! And why are you even after our Mischiefs, anyways? Your goons attempted to steal them last time and failed. What makes you think this time will be any different?" Anna exclaims.

Yuki opens his eyes and shakes his head. "Only because of your little friend's interference. But since I'm here, you can be sure that won't happen again." The Aegislash grips his fist. "Why we're after them is up to you to hypothesize on. We may tell you our names and the name of this organization. But that's all you get to know."

"Indeed. So in other words, be our guest to make predictions about us." Misstrike says, smiling casually at the group.

"Now then, let us put an end to this meaningless babble. We'll give you two choices: Either bring us the three objectives, or suffer the consequences." Says Yuki, putting his hands behind his back.

The Sceptile frowns at the Aegislash. "No. The Savior Units will never back down to criminals like you, especially when you want to rescue other criminals." He says, Sheer glaring at him in a response.

"Besides, we're fighting you because you want our possessions. What makes you think that vice versa wouldn't happen?" Iris joins in, her tail glowing with a red aura.

Yuki looks at the two before sighing and shaking his head. "You're right. It was foolish of me to even provide such an option to the likes of you." The Aegislash turns around, slipping his left hand inside of his shield and stretching his other arm. He then flips around to face the group, now in his Blade form as the shield engulfs his left arm. Yuki lifts his right finger to point at the group. "Take the objectives by brute force."

"Yes sir!" The Gales all say, proceeding to walk towards the group. The Tyranitars prepare their Dark Pulse attacks, a dark ball of energy forming from their mouths.

Iris takes her attention towards Anna quickly, handing her the Mudkip who is scared out of his mind. "Anna, can you go in the middle and protect the Mudkip, please?" Iris asks before noticing three Dark Pulses aiming at her direction. Anna quickly gets in front of the Dragonite, forming a clear shield around her and Iris as the blackish purple beams hit the shield: Protect.

"Sure!" The Ninetales answers immediately.

"Thanks." Iris sets the Mudkip on the Ninetales' back before Anna hurries her way to the middle, letting herself be surrounded by the group.

Mystery sees four Dark Pulses zooming towards him, curling his left arm around Cocoon and his broken shells all before hitting the attacks with his other arm, using Leaf Blade. This causes the Sceptile to be launched back drastically, but manage to land on his feet swiftly, Cocoon yelping during the process. Mystery looks at Anna besides him, giving Cocoon to her quickly. "Would you mind protecting him as well? It'll be an disaster if he happens to get hurt because of me." He says to the Ninetales.

Anna looks at Mystery and nods, setting the Mudkip beside her with her tails. "Alright. I'll keep an eye out for him, too." She replies before taking Cocoon out of Mystery's possession, making sure that his shells are with him as well.

"Thank you." The Sceptile then dashes off towards a Tyranitar in front of him and uses Leaf Blade, swiping the attack at the Pokemon's face before slamming his tail against another Tyranitar. This causes the two Pokemon to back away, grunting from the attack.

The rest of the Tyranitars fire their Dark Pulses, the energy beams darting menacingly towards the group's direction. Mystery, Leon, and Mark get in front of the group and use Protect: Leon shielding the west side, Mark the north, and Mystery the south. Iris notices the Dark Pulse from the east aimed at her, Jimmy, Ashen, and the rest, swinging her tail at the attacks with Dragon Tail. She is pushed back by the attack slightly, forming a fist afterwards that becomes engulfed in flames.

Soon, everyone goes to square off against the Gales, with Ashen, Lucas and Cerise left to help Anna shelter Cocoon and the Mudkip. Reckless sets his Flame Orb on his back, having it automatically cling onto him as he looks at Jimmy. "Ready for round 2, Beetle Boy?" The Ursaring says, cracking his fists while grinning deviously. The red scarf Heracross brings his arms up, ready to fight the Ursaring. Reckless rushes towards the Heracross, his body turning red due to the orb giving him the burn status. "HELL YEAH, BABY!" Jimmy dashes towards him and the two punch each other in the face, Jimmy wincing a bit due to Reckless' Guts. Then the two start jabbing and kicking endlessly, using Close Combat on one another.

Ebony defends Gonel against Sebastian, Dead Snow and Nexus, using Leaf Blade on Dead's Ice Shard attack while simultaneously dodging Sebastian's vines. She notices a purple-like ball substance flying towards her, gasping before shielding herself with her arms. She winces from the Sludge Bomb attack hitting her, causing her to slide across the ground slightly. "Ugh...That was a bad idea." She says to herself, looking to see the attack coming from Nexus as his sac extends, preparing another Sludge Bomb. Ebony groans uncomfortably, looking at Gonel. "This may be a tough fight so if they manage to get closer, don't hesitate to resist."

Gonel nods firmly, glaring at the three Pokemon. "Gotcha, Ebony." The Dusknoir replies, forming what seems to be several blue fireballs from the tip of her finger. Sheer looks at the fireballs and sweatdrops, noticing how close they are to his face.

 _As if the Dusknoir couldn't move those further away from me..._ The Cloyster thinks to himself, looking back at the three Pokemon.

The fight continues: Claire and the other two young Pokemon are fighting off the Tyranitars beside them, Jimmy and Reckless continue to Close Combat each other, Clemence tackles Iris down, and Leon and Helena are left to defend against Tron, Corruption and other Tyranitar goons. Yuki, Misstrike, and Alro watch the brawl, precisely observing all the Stone Edges being formed and the dodges being made. Yuki then directs his attention towards Mark, seeing him shoot multiple arrows at the group of Tyranitars. "Wait here, Misstrike. I'll be back shortly." The Aegislash says, casting a shadow underneath him. The Mismagius notices the shadow and nods, knowing what her master is planning to do. "Alro, follow my lead, please." Alro nods firmly, a dark pink outline forming around his arms as Yuki sinks his body within the shadow. The shadow extends its way towards the Riolu, speeding up rapidly. The Malamar follows along eagerly.

Mark sees the shadow from the corner of his eye and looks towards it. "Huh!?" He says confusedly before getting hit by Yuki's Shadow Sneak, the Aegislash leaping out of the shadow and uppercutting Mark. "Gah!" The Riolu is launched in the air and crashes against the wall behind him, falling to the ground afterwards.

"Mark!" Natalie shouts, forming a black purple-like ball from her mouth. As she attempts to fire her Shadow Ball at Yuki, Alro manages to get in front of her and counter the attack with Psycho Cut, creating smoke between him and her. "Dang it!" She grits her teeth in frustration, Claire continuing to attack the Tyranitars with her red Discharge.

"What's wrong, mistress?" The Shinx asks, focusing on the enemy Tyranitars.

Mark tries to get up from the ground, groaning. "U-Ugh, that attack just...came out of nowhere." He says to himself before looking up to see the Malamar standing in front of him, his eyes widening intensely.

"Miss me, Markie?" Alro says, revealing a smug expression on his face. Mark's palms glow yellow, the Riolu rushing towards Alro with Force Palm. Alro yawns softly as he sends a dark pink wave at Mark. The Riolu is hit by the Psycho Cut attack, crashing against the wall once more and slides to the ground. Mark becomes unconscious from the attack, Alro shaking his head in response. "Seems you haven't learned from last time, eh?"

As the Malamar picks up the Riolu, the smoke fades away, allowing Natalie and the others to see. Natalie gasps, seeing Mark in Alro's possession. "Hey! Leave Mark alone, you jerk!" Natalie yells, charging towards the Malamar.

"Not a chance." Alro smacks the Zorua to the side with his tendril hand, causing her to collide against Claire.

"Ah! What in the!?" Claire exclaims, she and the Zorua yelping from the collision as they fall to the ground.

Ashen, Lucas, Cerise, and Anna gasp at their friends being harmed by the Malamar. "Mark! Natalie! Claire!" Ashen shouts, his claws glowing white. "We got to help them!"

"E-Erm, are you sure, bro? They seemed pretty tough compared to last time we fought these Superwhatever they're called." The Furret says, shaking a bit.

"Well we can't just stand here and watch. We have to do _something_!" Ashen exclaims. "I'm not sure about the two of you, but I'm gonna go help them." The Linoone takes off running, leaving the other four Pokemon behind.

"W-Wait for me, Ashen!" Lucas rushes off after him with a look of discomfort on his face.

"I'll remain here to help you protect these two." Cerise says before looking around. Anna nods and continues to be protective towards Cocoon and the Mudkip, Cocoon seeing the fear on the Mudkip's face and feeling sorrow for the baby creature.

During the massive fight, Tron notices the Grovyle and Dusknoir are struggling to fight against Dead, Nexus and Sebastian, revealing a devious grin on his face. "Say Lance, you can handle these two tryhards, right?" The Raichu asks, dodging what seems to be a huge blue stream of liquid coming from Helena's mouth: Hydro Pump.

Corruption looks at the Raichu, raising his brow as he blocks every kick Leon throws at him. "Um, n-"

"Thanks!" Tron rushes towards the Milotic and hops on her head, leaping off from her afterwards like a frog. Helena grunts from the jump as Corruption sweatdrops at the Raichu.

 _He didn't even let me answer..._ Corruption thinks, watching the Raichu fly in the air before charging his electricity from his cannons, aiming them at Leon and Helena.

Ebony pants heavily at her three opponents, bruise marks being all over her body due to the amount of damage she received from Sebastian's vines. Gonel attempts to use Will-O-Wisp on the three Pokemon, flinging multiple blue fireballs at them. The three dodge the attack, with Dead's body being covered in white outline. _Dang it!_ Gonel thinks, taking her focus on the Glaceon's attack. She sees Sebastian slither quickly in front of Ebony. The Grovyle gasps before the Serperior's tail glows green and uses Leaf Blade on her, uppercutting the Grovyle.

"Gah!" Ebony yelps, her body being flung into the air. Dead Snow leaps up in the air and rams into the Grovyle, using Quick Attack to slam her to the ground. Ebony coughs out blood from the massive impact she received, the Glaceon pinning her down.

"Ebony!" Gonel shouts, attempting to aid the Grovyle before being stopped by multiple bullets in front of her. She looks behind her to see the Raichu spinning his body around and hitting her in the face with Thunder Punch. "Ah!" The Dusknoir grunts, leading her to let go of Sheer. Tron then gets besides the Cloyster and pushes him away, snickering deviously as Sheer raises his brow at him."What in the world!? Hey! Stop right there!" Gonel tries to chase after the Raichu but is then restrained by Sebastian's vines. "Oh come on!" She groaned.

Alro sees Ashen and Lucas heading towards him, shaking his head in disbelief. "These guys would do anything to save this worthless Pokemon, huh?" He says to the Aegislash, swinging his arm to the side and uses Psycho Cut on Ashen.

Ashen blocks the dark pink wave with Fury Swipes, leading him to get pushed back and collide into Lucas. The two groan from the collision. "Well he would be worthless if not for his Mythical Power." Yuki replies, seeing the two Pokemon get up.

Alro frowns at the Aegislash before sighing. "Yeah yeah, you're right..." The two then get back to their original spot with Misstrike, noticing that Sheer is next to them and the Raichu. Tron pants heavily, wiping his forehead from the sweat developing on it. "Oh hey there, Tron. You looked like you just got done working out a lot today."

"That's because I've been pushing this big boy shell right here." Tron shouts, patting Sheer on the side of his shell as he chuckles. "I didn't realize how heavy a Cloyster's shell is until I started pushing him. Ha!"

Misstrike giggles at the Raichu as Sheer sweatdrops at him, feeling uncomfortable and confused by the things going on with him. Yuki and Alro stare at the Raichu casually before Yuki examines the area, noticing the majority of the Tyranitars being defeated by the crew and the Units. He then sees Ashen and Lucas running at his direction, the two preparing their moves. "Alright. We got two of our objectives down. There's only one more to go." Yuki says, staring at Anna's earrings, then Jimmy's scarf, and now Iris' crystalline necklace. "Let's make this quick, shall we?"

Alro nods, grinning in pure delight. "Gotcha, boss." The Malamar says before shouting. "Gales! We have the Cloyster and the Riolu! Go after the Marvel Mischiefs, now!" He then fires multiple Psycho Cuts at Ashen and Lucas, the attack colliding with Lucas' Ice Beam which causes smoke to form for a brief moment.

The fight goes on halt, Mystery finishing knocking out the last few Tyranitars with Leaf Blade before taking his attention towards Yuki. Iris and Jimmy pant heavily, bruise marks forming all over them along with their opponents. Natalie and Claire get themselves off of each other and glare at Yuki's direction, seeing their unconscious friend within Alro's grasp. Iris snarls deeply at them, flames beginning to form around her fist.

"You...are _not_ taking Mark away from us!" Iris yells, immediately flying towards them.

Clemence blinks in surprise. "Hey! I thought I was your opponent today!" She says before chasing after the Dragonite. Jimmy tries to join along but gets grabbed by the bandaged horn from Reckless, screaming in pure pain.

"Who says you can run from me, Beetle Boy?" The Ursaring says before slamming the Heracross towards the ground, causing him to yelp from the impact. "Also, I just noticed something. The bandages you have wrapped around your horn. Did you get in an accident or something?"

"I-It's none of your concern. Since you foul, evil doers refused to tell us why you're after our friend, anyways." Jimmy says, glancing at the Ursaring.

Reckless shrugs with an smug look on his face. "Eh, good point." Then he attempts to weaken the Heracross with his fists, the Heracross dodging them.

Yuki notices the Dragonite striving towards his location, tilting his head curiously at her. "Hmm." He says before switching into his Shield form, his shield now in front of his blade-like body. Light blue hexagonal shapes begin to form in front of him as Iris uses Fire Punch on it, the shapes acting as a shield to the attack: King's Shield. The Dragonite gasps intensely, feeling her physical attack being dropped due to the King's Shield effects. "Strange...Looking at you once more, I feel as though that I..." Yuki looks into the Dragonite's eyes. "... _recognize you_."

Iris widens her eyes in shock and confusion. "What?" She says before seeing Misstrike float in the air and fling a Shadow Ball at her. The Dragonite gets hit by the attack, leading her to crash against the ground. "Ugh!" She groans from the attack, proceeding to get up before having her face slammed into the rocky ground by Clemence's hand.

"That should prevent her from moving." Clemence says casually, knocking the Dragonite out.

"IRIS!" Anna screams, leading Cerise and the others to rush after Yuki.

Sebastian slams Gonel to the ground with his vines, hard enough for her to feel weak and unable to move. He, Dead, and Nexus then dash off towards Yuki. The three notice Corruption struggling to fight against Leon and Helena; The Magmortar dodges Helena's Hydro Pump while blocking Leon's Quick Attack, grunting in the process. _Some help would be nice..._ Corruption thinks, panting heavily to the attacks.

Sebastian and the other two look at each other for a moment and nod, Nexus' sac enlarging before he uses Sludge Bomb on Helena. The Milotic notices the purple-like ball and counters it with Ice Beam, the icy beam of energy colliding against it. After the collision, Helena looks at the three Pokemon, mostly having her attention focused on Sebastian.

Sebastian stares back at the Milotic, Nexus' claws forming acid-like liquid as Dead Snow creates a sharp icicle underneath her paw. "So...this is where you've been all this time..." Helena says in a cold, menacing tone.

Sebastian looks down at the ground as Nexus looks at him. "Wait, isn't that..." Nexus pauses for a moment, realizing who Helena is.

Helena sighs heavily as she prepares an Ice Beam on her tail. "I should've known you would start committing crimes the moment you left me in flames..." The Milotic says, glaring in rage at Sebastian. As she attempts to use Ice Beam on Sebastian, she is stopped by a Thunderbolt coming from Corruption. She screams in pain, looking behind her to see Corruption jolting her with electricity while gripping Leon by the neck. The Magmortar then stops using Thunderbolt, leading Helena to faint afterwards.

Corruption drops Leon afterwards, the Blaziken being knocked out as well. "I'm going to get payback on Tron for ditching me. Leaving me to be double teamed by two opponents. One of them being a _Water type_ , no less." He says in a calm tone, folding his arms with an annoyed look on his face. Nexus and Dead stop forming their attacks and look at Corruption.

"Thanks, Corruption. Let's go help our master obtain the Mischiefs, alright?" Dead says firmly. The Magmortar looks at the Glaceon and nods before running off to go aid Yuki. Dead joins him as well, dashing off using Quick Attack.

Nexus is about to follow along until he sees Sebastian staring down at Helena, noticing the guilt consuming his face. "Come on, Sebastian. We need to go help master." He says to the Serperior. Sebastian sighs heavily, closing his eyes for a moment before looking at the black belt Toxicroak.

"Alright." Sebastian says. As Nexus goes off to aid the Aegislash, Sebastian looks at the Milotic one last time, grimace beginning to form across his face. _I'm...sorry..._ He wishes to say to her out loud. He wishes to say those exact words to her but couldn't as he slithers off to go join Nexus.

Cerise rushes towards Yuki and the others and uses Dragon Pulse on them, a dragon-shaped beam beginning to emerge from his mouth. Misstrike fires her Shadow Ball to counter the attack. Tron attempts to use Thunderbolt on the canine but Cerise seems unaffected by it, leading the Raichu to blink in confusion. "Is that thing part Ground or something? The heck?" He says before shooting at Cerise and the others rapidly with his Weapon Mischiefs.

Everyone dodges the rapid fire attack before Cerise attempts to grab Mark with his mouth. Alro brings the Riolu back and pushes the canine away with Psychic, leading him to crash against the wall. Mystery tries to use Leaf Blade on Alro but Dead rams her white outline body against the attack, pushing the Sceptile back. After landing on the ground, Mystery sees an incoming Ice Shard from Dead and uses Protect, shielding himself from the sharp icicle.

Soon, Nexus punches him in the stomach with Poison Jab, leading him to groan in pain as he backs away. The Sceptile's body then turns a purple-ish color, having received the poison status. "Sh-Shoot..." He says to himself, getting on his knees as the status condition harms him. Ashen and Lucas both attempt to use Fury Swipes on Alro but the two get caught by Sebastian's vines. They grunt and struggle from the vines before being slammed to the ground by them, leading the two to get knocked out.

Natalie screams as she rush towards the Gales, her body being engulfed in a corrupted reddish aura: Night Daze. Natalie slams her paw down, causing the red forcefield to form and aim at the Gales. Yuki sees the Zorua attack and gets in front of the Gales, using King's Shield to protect them. Yuki then switches into his Blade form as his sword body glows light blue, extending its size: Sacred Sword. He uses the move on the Zorua, attacking her from the side and slamming her harshly to the ground. Natalie yelps in pain, feeling a lot of damage from the move.

"Mistress!" Claire yells before charging towards Yuki, electricity and a yellow aura beginning to surround her body. She tries to use Wild Charge on him but Yuki swings his body at her like a baseball bat, slamming and sliding her across the ground drastically. "Ah!"

Anna sees her allies getting defeated, as well as Cerise struggling to get up from the ground and Jimmy being pinned down by Reckless. The Ursaring stomps on him endlessly, laughing in pure joy. "No..." The Ninetales says, her eyes widening in shock and terror. "NO!" She no longer shields Cocoon and the Mudkip as she stands in front of them. "I will not let you harm my friends any further!" She shouts, flames forming within her mouth. Reckless stops stomping on Jimmy and looks at the Ninetales, grinning deviously.

 _Use it._ Reckless thinks, eyeing eagerly at the Ninetales. As the Ninetales attempts to use Flamethrower on the Gales, Reckless holds out his arms immediately. _Gotcha._

Anna's Flamethrower is about to hit the Gales until it curves around, the attack aiming at her. "Huh!?" She stops using the Flamethrower attack as it hits her, causing her to yelp in pain and slams against the wall next to Cerise.

Reckless fist pumps excitedly. "Yes! Been waiting to do that to someone for a long while!"

"U-Ugh...How...did that happen...?" Anna asks, weakly attempting to get on her feet but ultimately failing.

Reckless then snaps his fingers, winking at the Ninetales. "Glad that you've gotten the chance to meet Inferno Wrath: My special little Mythical Power that allows me to manipulate any kinds of flames, rather it be the flames from a Fire type attack or just fire in general." He says as Yuki forms a shadow underneath himself. The Aegislash sinks within the shadow as Reckless continues speaking. "This MP also allow me to be immune to the infliction coming from the burn status. But I keep the Guts boosted damage, of course." Yuki uses Shadow Sneak towards Anna, the Ninetales noticing the shadow and attempting to back away. "Speaking of damage, the MP also powers up my moves drastically when I'm under the burn status, which explains why I defeated Beetle Boy here. And because of me being born with this MP, any Pokemon that resists or are immune to anything fire related will not have that effect once I use it against them."

Yuki leaps out from the shadow and grabs Anna's earrings, yanking them off from her ears as this leads to her screaming in pain. Cocoon and the Mudkip stare in terror, seeing red liquid dripping from the Ninetales' ears quickly. Yuki then uses Shadow Sneak to return back to the Gales, spawning himself out of the shadow and staring at Reckless. "That wasn't so smart of you to explain your gift to her. Now she'll find your weakness whenever we encounter them again." Yuki explains, proceeding to grab Jimmy's scarf.

The Heracross groans uncomfortably, barely being able to move his body as his scarf is being taken away. Reckless looks at the Aegislash and shrugs. "Eh, blame the creator for having me make that stupid decision." He says, folding his arms while revealing a 'meh' expression.

Yuki sets the scarf on his other hand, floating next to Iris. "I...have absolutely nothing to say about that." The Aegislash sweatdrops before slipping his hand underneath Iris' necklace. He stares down at her for a brief moment, squinting his eyes. _I seriously believe that I remember her...But...not sure from...where..._ He thinks to himself, sighing heavily and shakes his head. _My memory is quite imperfect, it seems..._ He snatches the necklace from Iris, returning back towards the Gales afterwards. "Is everyone here?"

"Yes, my lord. All the Gales are alive and well." Misstrike answers elegantly.

"Then our tasks here is complete. Let's leave." The Mismagius nods at the Aegislash as her eyes turns pure black, dark mist beginning to form around the Gales and the passed out Tyranitars. Cerise looks up at the Gales, seeing Mark close to leaving.

 _I don't think so!_ Cerise thinks to himself, his body beginning to be surrounded by a light green outline. He then takes off running, using Extreme Speed to quickly reach the Gales.

Yuki sees the canine rushing towards them. "Hmm?" Soon, Cerise runs to the side and snatches Mark out of Alro's possession, ramming into Yuki's shield. This causes Yuki to drop the three Marvel Mischiefs on the ground away from the mists as the Aegislash's eyes widen in petrification. "NO!" He shouts in pure rage before him and the other Gales disappears into the mist, the Supernova Gale no longer being present within the cave.

Cerise drops the Riolu, panting heavily. "Glad...that I...caught you in time..." The canine says before falling to the ground, leading him to faint. His body then glows green, shining bright enough for others in the area to see.

Mystery, Anna, Claire, and Natalie look at the glowing canine body, all marveling at Cerise shrinking in size. Several green lights separate from the shrinking canine, his appearance no longer resembling that of a canine. Cerise soon stops glowing, reverting back to his original blob self. _What the...?_ Mystery thinks before groaning from the poison damage, covering his stomach in discomfort.

Natalie slowly begins to stand up, wincing due to the pain she received earlier. "Is...everyone okay?" She asks while looking around. The baby Mudkip begins to bawl into tears, fear cluttering throughout the Mudkip's face.

"Ugh...my back hurts so it seems like I'm not..." Gonel says, remaining on the ground as she stares at the ceiling. "Not sure about everyone else..."

Natalie notices that a majority of the group are injured, with some at least being able to move. The Zorua sweatdrops. "Well then...this'll take me awhile to heal everyone up..."

"Heal?" Mystery says, raising his brow at the Zorua.

"I'll explain as I heal you and the others..." Natalie shrugs.

"I...see..."

. . .

Natalie puts her paws against Anna's other ear, a red outline forming around it along with the Ninetales' ear. After a few moments, Natalie removes her paws from the ear. "Annnd that should do it!" She says, sighing in relief.

Anna flickers her ears freely, sighing in relief. "Thanks, Natalie." Anna says, smiling at the Zorua. Everyone else is fully healed by the Zorua as well, the Units all looking at the Zorua in interest.

"Huh. That's an interesting, erm, power you got there, I suppose?" Mystery says, putting his hand against his chin.

"We're just very thankful for you healing us because of your gift." The Dusknoir says, smiling in joy.

"You're welcome, everyone!" Natalie exclaims, smiling back at everyone before panting heavily. "Wow that took a lot of effort than usual to heal someone."

Claire walks towards the Zorua to pat on her back. "Again, take it easy with your powers. You'll exhaust yourself if you do, mistress." Claire says. Natalie looks at her and nods.

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind for next time."

Mystery takes his attention towards Cerise, staring at him curiously. "Say...What are you, anyway?" The Sceptile asks, scratching the side of his head. The rest of the Units look at the red spotted blob as well, curiosity sprawling throughout their heads.

Cerise looks back at the Sceptile and shakes his head. "I'm curious to know that as well, honestly..." Cerise says soft yet higher tone than his canine form.

Mystery blinks in confusion before looking at Iris and Jimmy, who seem to be putting on their Marvel Mischiefs. "Do you two perhaps know what Pokemon he is?"

Iris shakes her head. "Nope. We're still trying to figure that out about him." She answers, sighing in relief after snapping her necklace on.

"Huh...I see. I should've known there was something strange about that Cerise fella when we first met him. I just didn't consider questioning his appearance until now..." He puts his hand against his chin, being quite peculiar about the blob as Mark walks towards Anna. "Interesting to note that about him..."

Gonel blinks for a moment before gasping to herself. "Ah yes, note!" She says before taking out a notepad and quil from her stomach, beginning to write on the notepad. "Day 100 of my life as a Savior Unit: This is just in, an unknown Pokemon undergoing form transformation. A witness to be shocked by." The Dusknoir mumbles to herself before giggling, leading Ebony to sweatdrop at her behavior.

"Here're your earrings, Anna." Mark says, carrying the yellow earrings in his hands. Anna lifts her head down, allowing the Riolu to put the earrings on the Ninetales' ears.

"Thanks, Mark." The Ninetales says, smiling warmly at Mark.

"Well since we're all healed up thanks to the Zorua, we can continue onwards now." Ebony says in a bit of an impatient tone. Mystery looks at her and nods.

"Indeed, sis." Mystery says, him being the first to move ahead of the group after picking up Cocoon. Ebony follows second, then Iris, and now everyone else. Jimmy puts the Mudkip on his back, making sure that he's holding on tight.

"Everything will be fine, little fella." The Heracross says, smiling at the Mudkip as he cheers him up. The Mudkip sniffles, clinging to the Heracross in a feeble manner. As Jimmy and the others exit the pathway, they notice that the crystals change back to their original colors again. "Hmm?" Everyone looks behind them to see that the pathway is brightly lit with purple lights and the right pathway not being present, leading the left pathway to become a singular pathway.

"I knew that this cave used to have one pathway. Because I would've seen the other one by now." Ebony says, staring at the pathway in suspicion. "I suppose that one of those Supernova Gales must had setup an illusion. To make us think that there's two pathways in Zero Cave."

"But that doesn't explain the crystals lights being turned off, though." Anna points out, tilting her head in a peculiar manner.

Ebony squints her eyes at the pathway. "Good point...hmm..."

"Oh who cares about that now, mate? There's an exit right ahead of us!" Lucas proclaims, abrupting his way into the conversation. Everyone looks in front of them to see light ahead, eagerness filling throughout their bodies.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get to that entrance quickly before something nasty happens!" Gonel says in excitement, being the first to rush off towards the entrance.

"Oi! Wait up, mate!" Lucas follows along before everyone else joins him and the Dusknoir. During so, Helena slithers in a calm pacing, showing a grimsome look on her face.

 _So...you join an unknown criminal organization, I see..._ The Milotic thinks to herself, stopping for a moment. _You're giving me more reasons to despise you, Sebastian..._ She sighs heavily, staring off to the crystals melancholily. She then proceeds onward to catch up with the others.

. . .

The Aegislash punches and throws several Tyranitars with no remorse as he screams in frustration within the dark world known as the Corruption Realm. "WE ALMOST HAD IT! WE ALMOST COMPLETED OUR OBJECTIVES!" Yuki screeches, seeing the Tyranitars falling down to the bleak, dark ground. " _ALMOST!_ "

The Gales jump from the Aegislash's rage, all feeling the amount of discomfort within their bodies. "Whoa there, boss! Chillax, will ya?" Tron says, his eyes widening in shock.

"Y-Yes, my lord. It's best if you just calm down and take a deep br-" The Mismagius' voice is cut off by Yuki's cold, deadly glance. "Eek!" Misstrike whimpers, shielding her face in petrification.

Yuki glares at the Gales for a moment, breathing menacingly due to anger. He then lets out a heavy sigh and looks away from the group, switching into his Shield form. "At least we accomplished one of our objectives..." He says before taking his attention towards Sheer, who seems to be beside Tron. "The _Force Shatter Cloyster_."

Sheer looks up at the Aegislash, raising his brow suspiciously at him. "How did you know about my Mythical Power...?" Sheer asks in a cautious manner.

Yuki laughs softly, floating towards the Cloyster. "Sheer, was it? We've been watching you ever since you met Iris and her friends." Yuki puts his fingers against each other sinisterly, having them in front of him. "After examining the usefulness of your Mythical Power, we consider you to be a great addition to our organization."

"...You believe so?"

"Certainly. With your MP, you can help us cripple that group of Pokemon that shattered every hope of your dream goal. After all, this can be considered as sweet revenge on them, correct?"

Sheer looks off to the side for a moment, sighing heavily. "Unfortunately, I would be of no use to you due to my barb being broken..." He says, glaring at the ground.

Yuki looks at Misstrike and tilts his head slightly towards the Cloyster. Misstrike nods and floats towards Sheer, her eyes turning pure black. Sheer looks at the Mismagius, blinking in confusion. "Hmm?" He says before Misstrike touches his broken barb, proceeding to heal it. "What is she..." He soon notices the barb slowly beginning to extend, the cracks no longer being present on them as they once used to be. "Oh...?" Misstrike then removes her ghostly 'hand' from the Cloyster's barb, the barb now being large and fixed.

"Problem solved. Now then, do you consider joining us?"

Sheer looks at the Aegislash, thinking deeply to himself. "...I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I should even trust you folks."

"Ah yes, the betrayal from Trent the Lucario, isn't it? We can help you get revenge on him as well, if you consider the offer."

Sheer glares at the Aegislash. "Look, I appreciate the offers, but I'm not interested. This seems too abnormal for me to believe."

"Even after we have interest in you and rescued you from potentially being sent to prison for life?" Yuki shakes his head. "That hurts my feelings, Sheer. That hurts all of our feelings."

"Oh my feelings are fine and dandy, sir!" Tron shouts in exaggeration. Yuki slowly looks at him, giving him the death stare of his life. Tron looks towards Nexus beside him, scratching the side of his head. "Oh jeez, why you say that, Nexus?" Nexus looks at the Raichu before rolling his eyes, folding his arms while croaking.

Yuki sighs and looks back at the Cloyster. "Alright then. Even if you're not interested in joining us, you still have no choice. Since we've basically shown you our hideout...Wouldn't want an outsider knowing our whereabouts, would we?" The Aegislash says, tapping his fingers together in a steady pace. "Besides...you're a criminal. You'll be running endlessly from the law. No home or shelter can protect you from them. Not even your loved ones." Yuki then stops the tapping, staring into Sheer's eyes coldly. "Your life is meaningless once you've defied the law."

Dead silence strikes the conversation, Sheer's eyes widening in pure terror. The Cloyster trembles in place, looking at the ground and recounting the decisions he made throughout his past. The decisions that leads him to this moment. Alro and Clemence look at each other, feeling quite satisfied by what they're witnessing. "Oh I like where this is going." Alro says, putting his tendril hand against his chin.

Sebastian, Nexus, and Dead look at each other for a moment, exchanging the amount of worry towards each other. _Did...we screw up by joining this organization?_ Nexus thinks, concerning thoughts sprawling throughout his head. The three then look back at Yuki and Sheer.

"After hearing all of those reasons, do you consider joining us? Or do you prefer death? Your choice." Yuki says, putting his hands behind his back. Sheer continues staring at the ground for a moment, inhaling all the air in before exhaling them in disbelief. He then looks at Yuki and nods.

"Yes...I will join your organization." Sheer says firmly.

"Good."

Within a flash, Sheer's eyes turns pure black, the Cloyster gasping repeatedly as if he's having a hard time breathing. "Wh-What in the-" He soon stops gasping, his eyes reverting back to normal. He looks to the side to see Misstrike's dark eyes reverting back to their normal red color, the Mismagius giggling afterwards. "Wh-What did you do to me...?"

"Let's just say I connected your soul to mine. That way, whenever you try to escape or betray us, I can always teleport you back to us." Misstrike explains, sticking her tongue out playfully. "In other words: This ensures your eternal stay in the Supernova Gale. You're with us forever...and ever..." The Mismagius giggles once more, leading Sheer to become concern of her.

"...I...see."

"Welcome to the Supernova Gale, Sheer. We hope that you enjoy your stay. If not, well..." Yuki pauses for a moment. "...that'll be very _unfortunate_ for you."

As the rest of the Gales, except for Dead, Nexus, and Sebastian, go to congratulate Sheer for joining their team, Sebastian looks off to the side with a tense look on his face. The Serperior thinks about what Helena said to him and Misstrike's mentioning of the eternal stay in the organization, leading him to glance at the ground. _...Shit..._

 _End of Chapter 21._


	23. Chapter 22

**Author's note: Salutations, everyone. Here's a new chapter for you all to read up on! And the next chapter after it will be uploaded on Friday, next week. Just so you know that from here on, not only will two MM chapters be uploaded monthly but also has the first chapter be uploaded on the first week while the second second chapter is on the second week. The two will be uploaded on either Friday or Saturday, depending on how busy I'll be in life. Without further ado, enjoy.**

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 **Chapter 22: Seaport Bay! Home of the Ships!**

Running and running...and more running. Footsteps one after another are all Iris can hear from her and the others, along with some few heavy breathing here and there. The Dragonite eventually makes her way to the exit, gasping in awe at the sight she's looking at. "Whoa..." She says, feeling quite stunned as the others catch up to her.

The crew gazes at the sight as well, their eyes widening in amazement. "W-Wow..." Mark says, shifting his bow behind him. Everyone sees a huge scenery ahead of them: a beach area. Multiple trees are on their right while the ocean is on the left. There are a few buildings here and there, mostly shops or houses. Many Pokemon are chatting with each other and roaming around the area as well, even some of the Water types are relaxing by the area within the aquatics.

A brown sign can be seen by the Zero Cave, with the words 'Welcome to the Seaport Bay! Where ships are made and sailed!' on it. A few dozens of seagull-like creatures with simplistic eyes, two triangular tufts on their heads, and long flat wings are sitting on the sign conversing with one another or some even sleeps on it: Wingull. There's also a huge statue everyone can see in the foreground, being far off from the bay. Cerise tilts his head curiously at it, mystery cluttering his mind with thoughts and questions.

 _Hmm? That...statue. I can't quite see it clearly but something about it, makes me feel...strange._ He thinks, blinking at the unrecognizable statue.

Iris looks at the sign and lifts her brow in confusion. "Eh?" She says, realizing what the sign said. She then takes her eyes onto Mystery. "Say, I thought you said this was a town?" She asks, scratching the side of her head confusedly.

The Sceptile blinks for a moment as he stares at the sign himself, raising his brow in confusion. "Oh? I thought this was a town when me and the Units got here...In fact, I didn't even realize there was a sign here." He says, shrugging afterwards.

"Well I been trying to tell you this place wasn't a town ever since we got here." Ebony says, folding her arms afterwards.

Mystery looks at the Grovyle. "I see...Then again, the Seaport Bay does look somewhat similar to a town, from the looks of it. So I can understand my mistake."

Ebony sweatdrops as she squints her eyes at Mystery. _Great. Another moment where the adults don't consider thanking the young for their correction..._ She thinks, looking ahead of her with a stern expression spreading throughout her face.

"Man, what took you guys so long? And who are they?" A female says in a sassy tone, catching everyone's attention. The group look ahead to see two creatures being by a wooden house. One of them is a cat-like weasel with narrow red eyes, yellow oval markings on her forehead and chest, and white claws: Sneasel. And the other is a mushroom-like bipedal with kangaroo features on his body, red claws on his hands and feet, and has a green mushroom-like cap: Breloom. The Sneasel is waving her arms at the group while the Breloom admires the habitat around him, adjusting his black backpack behind him.

The crew and the Units all look at the two Pokemon, Ebony rolling her eyes in response to their appearance. "We went through some trouble along the way, Fiona." The Grovyle says, staring at the Sneasel.

Fiona, the Sneasel, puts her hands by her hips. "Normally the Savior Units would've taken care of their business by now." She replies, smirking at the Grovyle.

Ebony glances at her. "Hate to break it to you but we as Pokemon suck. Get used to us messing up."

"Not with that attitude, Ebony. You're making it sound like we're bound to become failures." Gonel says, joining in the conversation.

Ebony closes her arms and grips them, sighing softly. "Nobody asked you..." The Grovyle mumbles underneath her breath, leading Fiona to giggle at her. Mystery turns his attention towards Iris and her crew.

"Everyone, meet Fiona the Sneasel and Brad the Breloom. They're also a part of the Savior Unit, too." Mystery says calmly.

"Really? Jeez, that makes up, um..." Lucas pauses for a moment to point at the Units, counting them one by one. "Six of you guys!"

"Actually, it's seven. You're forgetting about silent boy over there." Fiona says, snickering as she points at Leon. Everyone turns to the side to see Leon returning to the group from the palm trees, munching on a Mago Berry in one hand while carrying another. The Blaziken then raises his brow at the group, peculiar to why they're staring at him.

"Ah, I didn't even know he existed!" Lucas states.

"Same here..." Ashen replies, scratching the side of his head. Leon squints his eyes at the two before sighing and shaking his head. The crew then introduces themselves to Fiona and Brad afterwards, Brad nodding firmly while Fiona smiles in glee.

"A pleasure to meet you all. I'll have you know that if you were working for the Savior Units right now, you would be stacking cash." The Sneasel says, rubbing her fingers together to stimulate money in her hand.

"Oh? And why's that?" Lucas asks, curiosity sparkling in his head.

"Haha, glad that you asked." Fiona turns to the side and folds her arms, closing her eyes. "You see, I was raised in a rich and wealthy family. Meaning my family has no problem giving me things I want."

"Oooh you're so lucky, mate!"

Fiona giggles before continuing to speak. "And that's not all: My family was so rich that they were on the same level as the government in the wealth department."

"Wait, how's it possible for them to be on the same level as the government?" Anna questions.

"Yeah, I agree. I was told that it's impossible for anyone to be on the same level as them." Iris follows along, scratching the side of her head curiously. Fiona opens one eye at the two Pokemon.

"Ah yes. I was thinking the same thing. Until I found out that my parents were working for the government all along." The Sneasel waves her hand around, having the other hand by her hip as she has both of her eyes open. "And ever since I learned that fact, I always wanted to work with the government. It gives me at least something to do in life."

"That makes sense." Lucas states, nodding at the Sneasel.

"After much trial and error, I eventually got the chance to work for O.P. along with meeting the Savior Units and having Units get paid more than usual because of me." Fiona then looks at Ebony and sticks her tongue out playfully. "You're welcome, by the way."

"Don't sweat it." Ebony rolls her eyes while folding her arms.

"Huh. Maybe I should consider joining the Savior Units." Lucas says excitedly. The whole crew slowly looks at Lucas, giving him a look of discomfort because they're, well, pirates. Enemies to the government. Lucas quickly realizes that fact and sweatdrops. "I-I mean, if I were interested into such, hehe..."

Brad steps in front of the Sneasel. "It takes a lot of dedication, willingness, and hard work to join the government, especially the Savior Units." Brad explains in a calm yet serious tone. "You'll have to sacrifice _multiple breaks_ for training in order to even be _considered_ a member. That's how Fiona and I make it to the team."

"Y-Yikes! Sacrificing multiple breaks!? Sounds like something we experienced in the Cloyster Kingdom!" Lucas exclaims.

"Yeah..." Ashen agrees along, leading him and the rest of the crew to sweatdrop.

Cocoon sweatdrops as well, feeling embarrassed due to him knowing that he's the cause for that. _Sorry..._ He thinks in his head, whimpering softly.

"While what you guys experienced was forced work, what we experienced was optional. We don't have to work for the government. We _choose_ to." Mystery states. "As long as we put our best of efforts and willingness into the trainings, we'll have a higher chance at succeeding."

Fiona looks off to the side and shrugs. _If only brother succeeds..._ Fiona thinks before taking her attention back onto the group, letting her confidence covers her actual feelings.

"Speaking of the Cloyster Kingdom," Mystery walks toward Brad, showing the Breloom the shiny shell-less Cloyster. "Mind calling one of the government's leaders to send in soldiers and give us a ride?" The Sceptile asks.

Brad nods, setting his backpack down. "And why's that?" Brad responds.

Mystery looks down at Cocoon, noticing the unsure look on his face. "Because this man committed a crime in the Cloyster Kingdom for the longest time. The crimes include: Having one town be in poverty in favor for another and cruel/unusual punishments. Reason being the death of someone close to him."

Brad looks at Cocoon, seeing the Cloyster looking down as he unzips his backpack. "I see. Another one of those 'crimes caused by the past' criminals, it seems." The Breloom says, getting his Caller out of the backpack. "I'll call the leader right away."

"Thanks, Brad." As the Breloom proceeds to call the government on his device, Fiona walks besides the Grovyle and smirks.

"I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I personally find beauty in not evolving." The Sneasels, taking her eyes onto the crew.

Natalie raises her brow. "Really now?" She says, interested in the Sneasel's words.

Fiona looks at the Zorua and bows. "Why of course, dear." She then arch her back and puts her claw against her face, revealing a dramatic pose to the group. "I see not evolving as the true way for a Pokemon to become stronger and faster. Plus, you get to keep your adorable looks in your unevolved stage." She then looks at Ebony, grinning deviously. "Unlike some folks that want to gain unnecessary powers, sacrificing their looks and other attributes along the way."

Ebony stares down at the Sneasel, glaring menacingly at her. "Evolution is the way to get stronger and faster, for your information." The Grovyle states, folding her arms. "Besides, looks shouldn't mean anything when it comes to gaining strength."

"Ha, funny. Last I checked, you wanted to evolve so that you can become 'cooler' and 'stronger' than before."

"I was weak and pathetic. I had to train hard enough to even exceed past my unevolved stage."

"Riiight. Meanwhile, I trained as hard as you did yet I managed to remain as my unevolved self _AND_ still joined the Savior Units afterwards."

Ebony reveals a 'what the heck' look on her face as she frowns. "That's because your rich and privileged family gave you access to the government just like that." Ebony says, snapping her fingers to prove a point. "At least be grateful that you _made_ it to the top instead of bashing others for choosing to evolve."

Fiona's smirk immediately turns into a frown as she folds her arms. "Oh wow. Just because I was raised under a rich family, doesn't mean I don't have to work as hard as you do! Besides, of course I'm grateful for this job because the government themselves are picky, regardless of whether or not I'm rich!" Fiona yells at the Grovyle, leading to her and the Grovyle glancing at each other. Everyone sweatdrops at the two, surprised by the drama being caused from them.

"Whoa there! And I thought the argument we had with Iris a few days ago was bad!" Jimmy states, shielding the Mudkip behind him from the two Pokemon.

"Did you really have to bring that up?" Iris says to Jimmy, shrugging awkwardly. Mystery gets beside the Sneasel and Grovyle, patting them on the shoulders.

"Now now you two. There's no need for bickering over this nonsense. Okay?" The Sceptile says. Fiona and Ebony continue to glance at each other before looking away, both making a loud 'hmph' noise.

Soon, a loud male voice alerts everyone's attention. "AT LAST! A NEW SHIP IS BORN!" The voice shouts in a audio-like tone. Iris happens to be the first beaming her way direction towards the voice before the others. Everyone sees a crowd of Pokemon within the middle of the bay, surrounding a wooden board.

"Did that...announcer say ship?" Iris says.

"I believe so, Ir-" Anna pauses for a moment to notice the Dragonite already taking off running, sweatdropping before catching up to her. "Dang it, Iris! At least warn us beforehand!" She yells as the others follow her along.

On the wooden board contains two creatures: One being a cyan-colored shrimp with a large blue claw and a single black stripe on each other his body segments, the other being a cyan crustacean with two yellow antennae on top of his head and having yellow round eyes. They're known as Clawitzer and Clauncher. The Clawitzer is holding a megaphone with his big claw while the Clauncher is holding up a sign saying 'A new ship is ready to sail!'.

"EVERYONE BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS SHIP, FOLKS! AS IT IS READY TO SAIL AT ANY MOMENT!" The Clawitzer shouts through the megaphone in a upbeat tone, leading the audience to cheer in joy. "THAT IS ALL FOR OUR DAILY ANNOUNCEMENTS TODAY! MAY DREAMS CONTINUE TO _SET SAIL_!" The Clawitzer laughs with joy and pride, causing the crowd to cheer once more.

As the folks begin to go along with their business, Iris manages to stop in front of the Clawitzer, panting heavily. "H-Hey...s-sir!" She says, panting more and more. The Clawitzer and Clauncher both stare at the Dragonite confusedly.

"Huh?" The two say.

"You mentioned a new ship, right?" Iris catches her breath to talk properly. "Where is it?"

"Apologies, ma'am. But the ship isn't ready yet. The ship craftsmen are still developing it. Although, it is close to being done so it'll be available to use pretty soon." The Clawitzer says, smiling at the Dragonite.

Iris groans heavily, revealing a grumpy look on her face as she looks to the side. "Dang it!" She says, the crew and the Units catching up to her in time. Iris turns toward them, folding her arms. "Looks like we'll have to wait a little longer on this island. The new ship isn't ready, unfortunately."

"That's a bummer." Anna says, sitting down on the soft sand.

"Tell me about it." Iris sighs, shaking her head in disbelief.

Ashen walks towards the Clawitzer. "Are you perhaps the mayor of the Seaport Bay?" The Linoone asks calmly.

The floating shrimp shakes his head. "Why there's no mayor in this here bay. Only law enforcers patrol around this area to ensure everyone's safety." He says, seeing some Bisharps and Victreebels with blue hats roaming around the place. The group notice the officers as well before the Clawitzer continues speaking. "Mind telling me why you asked?"

"Oh. Well it's because we were hoping if there was a leader here to help us understand this place a little more. Apparently, that's not the case here." Ashen shrugs.

"I see." The Clawitzer salutes to the group. "The name is Draven. And this is my cousin, Udep. We're the announcers for the ships being produced on this bay. All you needed to know about the Seaport Bay is that it produces ships and there's multiple versions of them out there."

"Hello!" Udep, the Clauncher, says happily in a adorable tone, waving his claw at the group excitedly.

"Huh. You don't say?" Iris says, putting her paw against her chin.

"Indeed! My siblings are currently in other Seaport Bays as we speak!" Draven looks up at the sky with confidence, putting his smaller claw by the side of his body. "My family tasked me and Udep to become the best announcers we can be. Keeping the title of 'The Most Energetic Announcers' alive and well for many generations to come."

"Yep! Big cousin's dream is to appease everyone as excitedly as he can!" Udep exclaims, shifting from side to side. "And I wanna grow up to be just like him!"

Ebony scratches the side of her head while raising her brow. "I mean, it's just you shouting through the megaphone about ships. No need to be _too_ excited over that." She says.

Gonel laughs next to her. "Oh silly you. Motivation is motivation _regardless_ of what type of job it is." The Dusknoir states in a optimistic tone.

Fiona elbows the Grovyle. "Yeah, 'silly'." She follows along. Ebony rolls her eyes at the two and folds her arms, staring at the two Pokemon on the wooden board.

Draven chuckles at the group, enjoying the commotion going on. "Well anywho, me and Udep will be on our way out now. Stay tuned for our upcoming announcement. Which should happen probably tomorrow or so." He says, caressing his shrimp-like mouth as if they were moustaches. "Depends on the ship's development, really."

Lucas snaps paws. "Gotcha, mate." He says, attempting to act cool but comes off as awkward. Gonel, Mark, Natalie, and even the Mudkip chuckle at the Furret as everyone else shakes their heads at him. "What?"

Soon, Draven and Udep depart from the board and head towards a standard size house by the cliff next to the sea. There's also a seaport next to the house, containing a large building filled with Pokemon socializing with each other while ships are being built in the background. Iris and the rest of the crew soon look around the bay cluelessly. "Well then, what should we do while waiting on the new ship to be developed?" Jimmy asks. The Dragonite shrugs at him.

"Rent a home, I guess." Iris says in a unsure manner. She then sees a shop next to Draven's home. The shop contains a phone-like device as the logo, displayed big enough for her and the others to see. "Um...What shop is that?"

"Why that's the Caller Shop, Iris. It sells...well, Callers." Mystery answers. The whole crew looks at the Sceptile, their eyes widening in surprise.

"THERE'S A SHOP THAT SELLS CALLERS!?" The crew yells. The Mudkip and Grovyle yelp from the yell, Ebony being the one covering her ears.

"Yes. My brother just stated that not too long ago." She says, uncovering her ears while glaring at the crew.

"Oh boy, time for me to get myself a new Caller!" Iris says before reaching behind her back, noticing that there's nothing there. "...Oh right. My bag was taken away during the whole Cloyster Kingdom madness. Uh..." She turns to her crew. "...Please tell me you guys got it back."

"Well I ha-" Mark pauses for a moment to realize that he only has his bow. "...Nevermind..."

Iris facepalms. "Well shit. We'll be roaming around homeless, now!"

"Not quite." Gonel says before reaching inside of her stomach. Everyone looks to see the Dusknoir taking out a familiar white bag.

Anna tilts her head confusedly. "Wait, how did you get our bag?" She asks.

"Well, I noticed it lying on one of the concretes before I held Sheer captive. And it's been trapped in my void of a belly ever since then." Gonel explains, giggling to herself as she hands the bag to Iris. "You're welcome." The Dragonite becomes hesitant to take the bag, slowly reaching out towards it. "It's not wet or anything. Promised."

Iris takes the bag and feels its dry yet soft features, sighing in relief. "Okay. Thanks for finding it for us!" She says. Gonel nods before Iris turns towards the crew. "We're getting ourselves a Caller first before renting a place to live, fellas!"

"Yay!" Mark, Natalie, and Claire all say, excited to finally relax after a long while of endless madness.

Cerise looks off to see a big house besides the forest, with a Clefable holding a sign saying 'For Rent' in front of the house. "Say guys, I found us a home we could stay in afterwards." The blob says, pointing his tail at the house. The crew looks at the direction before staring back at Cerise.

"Thanks for the heads up, Cerise." Iris says, putting her bag on. Cerise nods happily as Mystery smiles at the crew, seeing how ecstatic and lively they are towards everything happening to them.

"Alright. Me and the Units will head off to our temporary home until our ride arrives. Take care, everyone." Mystery says, him being the first to head towards the wooden home from earlier before the rest of the Units do. Mark waves his paw at them.

"You take care as well!" Mark shouts in joy.

As the gang proceeds onwards to the Caller shop, Cerise stops in place to notice the statue from earlier, seeing it a bit more clearly than before. "Hmm?" He says, looking at the statue in the far distance. He sees it resembling a humanoid body in a attacking pose. Unfortunately, he couldn't see the colors from it due to the fog making it hard to see. _That...statue. It just seems...so familiar to me._ Cerise thinks, staring more longingly into the statue.

The blob eventually rushes off towards the others, focusing his mind on the crew for the time being.

 _End of Chapter 22._


	24. Chapter 23

**Author's note: Apologies for not uploading this chapter last week. Was busy focusing on my college works and getting used to college in general. But anywho, here's the new chapter now. I hope that you all enjoy it and without further ado, proceed to reading. (Also, as I upload this chapter, I wanted to let you all know that I've reached over 1000 view on this fanfic! I thank you all for taking your time reading this fanfic, even if you don't speak out your opinions on it in the review. Seriously, it means a lot to me. n_n)**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: An Unexpected Group Terrorize the Seaport Bay!**

Darkness overshadows the Seaport Bay, covering the majority of the area within its barricade. Only the moon and the stars give light to the Pokemon roaming around at night.

Inside of Draven's home, Draven and Udep are in their bedroom, Draven tucking the Clauncher in his bed as he puts the cover over his body. The bedroom itself contains only a minimal amount of furniture: two beds, a lamp on the dresser between the beds, and a blue carpet in the middle of the room. The megaphone and sign are leaning against the wall, being in the far right corner.

Draven sighs in relief, floating off to his bed. "Ah, what a wonderful day we had. Can't wait for tomorrow to be even better!" Draven says happily, lying down on the bed.

"U-Um, cousin." Udep pauses for a moment, staring at the grey ceiling.

"Yes?"

"I'm...curious about ships. Like how long do you think the ship business will last...?"

Draven blinks for a moment before coming into a realization. "Ah. Your mind is still thinking about those Callers, huh?"

Udep turns to face the Clawitzer across from him, nodding feebly. "Yes...Ever since I've heard they can teleport you anywhere you want, I feel like ships would become useless."

Draven shifts over to look back. "Hmm. I can see where you're coming from, my dear cousin. But I can assure you that the business will continue onwards."

Udep widens his eyes in suspense. "Really?"

Draven nods. "Indeed. Ships have always been a staple to those wanting to reach another location, especially if they hadn't visited it before." Draven looks at the lamp, seeing a Caller next to it with a wire at the end. He notices the wire coming from one end to a socket behind the dresser, indicating that it's being plugged into the wall. "Besides, those things rely on charging. They can go down pretty quick, depending on the battery." The Clawitzer chuckles. "And we all know how much of a disaster it'll be if everyone relies solely on Callers for transportation. Might as well travel on foot, while you're at it!"

"Oh. I see then." Udep twiddles with his claws while looking down. "S-So it's unlikely for the business to go down, then?"

"Positively. I reckon that the teleportation process can have up to five Pokemon. No more than that. So imagine wanting to go to a location you've visited before, but you're also thinking about bringing seven other folks with you, too."

"Oh...I guess that would be difficult without a ship, then."

"Indeed. Callers may be a neat and easy way for transportation, but its flaws are the reason why folks still travel with ships till this day." Draven smiles at the Clauncher. "Our announcing days are still alive and kicking, cousin. So don't fear the future. Instead, acknowledge it and focus on the present."

Udep looks at the Clawitzer, slowly forming a confident look on his face as he smiles back. "Y-Yeah. I'll try to do that for now on, big cousin!" He says happily.

Draven reaches his big claw out to pet Udep on the head, being mindful of the lamp beside it. "Let's get some rest now. We'll need to check on the progress for the new ship just in case we need the energy to announce it being ready."

Udep nods. "Okay!" Soon, the two proceed onwards to sleep, Udep nuzzling his pillow excitedly while Draven straightens his.

Over at the crew's home, everyone there is asleep as well: Some of them are sleeping in the upstairs bedroom, while the others are in the bottom bedroom. The house itself has a living room beside the stairs and the kitchen, the hallway by the left leading to the bottom floor bedroom and a window next to it. The living room also has some decor, such as three couches and a table that's surrounded by the couches.

At the end of the hallway, Cerise looks out of the window, gazing at the sea swishing and swooshing in serenity. He stares at the sea quietly, letting his mind go into thought and curiosity. A look of worry begins to surround his face, leading the blob to look off to the side.

"What you doing up?" A familiar female voice says, catching Cerise's attention. Cerise blinks curiously before turning around and sees Natalie, tilting his head to the side.

"I would ask the same to you, too." Cerise replies, rubbing his tail against his head.

The Zorua walks towards him and leans against the wall, sighing heavily. "Couldn't sleep, honestly." She says, looking up at the ceiling.

"Another bad dream, I assume?"

"Nope. Just screwed up my sleep cycle, that's all." Natalie sweatdrops as she squints her eyes. "I have the Cloyster Kingdom to thank for that..."

"I see. Apologies to hear that, Natalie."

Natalie looks at the blob and snickers. "No need to apologize, silly. I'll surely find a way to sleep normally, again."

Cerise nods. "Alright then. As for me, well..." Cerise looks back at the sea. "I noticed this mysterious statue in the forest earlier."

"A statue?" Natalie tilts her head peculiarly.

"Yes. Something about that statue seems...familiar. As if I'm feeling something powerful from it. Something meaningful." Cerise shakes his head. "Yet, I don't know why..."

"Huh...Come to think of it, there're a lot of things about ourselves that we don't understand: Why can I heal myself and others? Why can you transform into something else? Why does Claire insist on telling me to be careful when healing someone? How can I remember my own name and not remember my past, but you can't remember anything about yourself entirely?" Cerise looks at the Zorua, forming a concerned look on his face. "These questions continue to linger in our heads until eventually, we find our answers. Claire _would_ answer them for me but she insisted that I recover my memories, first." Natalie shrugs.

"I...see." Cerise looks back at the window and stares at the stars. "Seems like there's a lot of things left unanswered for us. They leave us curious about them every day...and every night."

Natalie gets up and stares at the stars with Cerise. "Yeah..." Things become quiet for the two, as they both gaze at the sea and the sky calmly, hearing nothing but the ocean's water swaying repeatedly. Soon, Natalie yawns tiredly before turning around. "Welp, I'll head off to bed now. Just hoping that I'll sleep for real this time."

Cerise hops off from the window platform, landing on the ground next to Natalie. "I'm thinking about sleeping, as well. Which bedroom are you heading to?"

"The one upstairs. Why'd you ask?"

"Because I'm planning to sleep in the bottom floor bedroom and due to my size, I'll need someone's assistance to open the door for me." Cerise says, chuckling softly as he sweatdrops.

"Couldn't you transform into your canine-like form to do that?" Natalie asks, tilting her head confusedly.

"...Actually, you're right about that. Let's see if I can try." Cerise closes his eyes, taking a deep breath before exhaling. He then opens his eyes and...nothing happens. Not even a single thing glowing from him. "...Huh. Guess I only activate it during crisis or something..."

Natalie giggles at the blob. "I guess so. I'll open the door for you, then."

"Thanks, Natalie."

The Zorua nods and goes to open the bedroom door for Cerise, standing on her hind legs to twist the doorknob. After opening it, Cerise proceeds inside of the room before Natalie closes it, the two telling each other goodnight afterwards. Natalie then goes to walk upstairs to the other bedroom.

. . .

Morning rises. The sun shines. The rays bypass the front windows of the crew's home to provide light for everyone inside. Inside of the upstair bedroom is Iris slouching all over the bed like a lazy person. Ashen, Lucas, Mark, Natalie, and Claire happen to be sleeping on the Dragonite, all managing to stack on top of each other like a sandwich. Iris snores, having her mouth wide open.

Soon, a loud choppy noise can be heard coming from the outside. This leads Lucas to wake up immediately. "Eh!?" He says, having his furry tail dive into Iris' mouth.

Iris widens her eyes immediately. "Mmph!?" The Dragonite instantly pushes everyone off of her, rubbing her tongue constantly while spitting. "Eurgh! What the hell, Lucas!?"

The five Pokemon land on their backs, groaning from the impact they received. "J-Jeez Iris, you didn't have to do that!" Mark exclaims.

"Agree..." Natalie says tiredly, rubbing her eyes afterwards. "Also, what is that noise?"

Iris blinks before hearing the choppy sound as well, getting out of bed herself. "Yeah...Let's go see what that noise is." She suggests. Iris then exits out of the bedroom, with the three younglings following along.

"Ugh...What's _her_ problem?" Lucas says, rubbing his back. Ashen shrugs.

"Not sure. Let's just go find out what that noise is." The Linoone says.

"Oh right! The noise!" Lucas rushes out of the room as Ashen follows behind.

"Wait up, bro!"

Iris makes it downstair to see the others exiting out of the other room, Jimmy rubbing his eyes tiredly. "What's all the ruckus going on out there?" The Heracross asks. He looks behind him to see the Mudkip sleeping quietly on the bed. "That sound is waking us up but not...that little fella over there..." Jimmy sweatdrops. "That's quite the heavy sleeper, I assume. But anywho, that sound is very loud and we need to investigate it."

"That's why I'm here, Jimmy." Iris states before exiting out of the house. Soon the others join her as well, with the exception of Cerise. He goes to look out of the front window, wanting to be safe from anything dangerous as he watches the others. Everyone arrives at the middle of the bay, gasping at what they're witnessing.

"Whoa..." The crew says in amazement. They all see two black helicopters in the air, the vehicles slowly descending. The words 'OP' are written on the entrance doors. The folks in the bay also stare at the choppers, socializing with one another as the helicopters finally land on the ground.

Next to the helicopters are the Savior Units, all looking at the helicopters calmly as the doors begin to open. A group of Bisharps and Weaviles wielding red spears exit out of the doors and go next to the Units. The gang all walk towards the Units in curiosity. The Bisharps and Weaviles look at them aggressively and point their spears towards them before Mystery gets in front of them. "No need. They're harmless." The Sceptile explains, having Cocoon in his possession as the guards bring their spears back.

"Oh. You're about to leave now?" Iris asks.

Mystery nods. "Yes. Brad did call the soldiers over, after all. Just that I didn't expect them to take too long to reach this location."

"I see."

"It was a pleasure getting to meet you all. With you willing to listen to our experience working with the government, and us getting to know you and your friends, even for a tiny bit." Mystery smiles at the crew.

Ebony walks towards the gang, having her arms fold. "I just wanted to apologize for the way I behaved yesterday." She says, glaring at Fiona behind her. "A certain someone _really_ tried to act tough."

"Ha. Pretty ironic coming from someone _that evolved_." Fiona replies, smirking at the Grovyle.

The black cape Grovyle sighs heavily before taking her eyes back onto the crew. "Anyways, this'll be our farewell." She walks next to Mystery. Mystery looks at her and the Units, nodding at them before the guards escort them to the helicopters. The first chopper opens its entrance door for the Units, Gonel being the one turning around and waving at the ground.

"Toodles, everyone. We wish you all good luck and take care!" Gonel says, revealing a cheerful expression on her face as some of the guards enter the helicopter. The rest enter in the second helicopter, the two vehicles beginning to spin their wings around. The helicopters begin to take off as Iris and the gang wave back.

"Bye! We hope to see you guys again!" Mark shouts, having his hand circling his mouth. Soon, the entrances to the helicopters close as they take off into the air.

"We're probably not going to see them again." Claire says bluntly, blinking at the helicopters.

"I mean, it would be cool if we did!"

Claire looks at the Riolu and shrugs. "I suppose?"

"Either way, all we can do is move on with our lives. Whether we see them again or not." Iris joins in the conversation.

Anna sighs. "Although, I do hope for Cocoon's sentence to be soft." The Ninetales says.

The crew all look at her in surprise. "And why do you wish for someone that gave us misery to have a softer sentence?" Claire asks with concern.

"Yeah...Jimmy almost died because of him." Natalie agrees. "Well, not really because of _him_ but Sheer was serving him during the crisis so..."

Anna looks back at the crew and shrugs. "Well yes, I can agree that we all have been through some hell here and there. But after realizing why he made the kingdom that way, I can have some sympathy for him." The Ninetales explains. "Of course that doesn't mean that his actions are justifiable because they're not. I mean that...He was suffering a lot from the loss of his best friend. And it seems like he even learned his lesson from the big mistake he made. Which led to him wanting to turn himself in."

"Hmm..." Claire thinks to herself for a moment as the helicopters fly away, sitting down to lick her paw. "Eh, I still feel like he deserves a harsh punishment for what he's done."

Anna looks at the Shinx and sweatdrops. "Of course _you_ would say that..."

As the helicopters fly past the forest, two silhouettes appear from the bushes. The two nod at each other as a ton of figures exit the bushes, the silhouettes following along. Back at the bay, the crew all walk towards their home calmly. All except for Claire as she stops walking, snarling deeply.

Natalie looks at Claire, noticing that she's not walking with the others. "Is something wrong?" She asks.

"I'm sensing something bad is about to happen." Claire answers, looking around tensely. She soon notices a figure jumping on top of the crew's house, squinting her eyes at it. She sees the figure preparing a move. "What in the Distortion is that?"

The figure then releases a stream of multiple leaves beaming towards the middle of the bay: Leaf Storm. The attack hits the ground, causing the crowd of Pokemon to panic. "Huh!?" Iris says, she and the others looking to see what's going on. Smoke begins to form from the impact, the cops becoming alarmed by the disaster.

Draven and Udep exit out of their home and rush towards the center, being next to a Bisharp cop. "What the heck is going on here!?" Draven says, forming a concern look on his face.

"Not sure, sir. We're figuring that out right now." The cop replies, wielding his black handgun. Soon, everyone hears a mischievous laugh, one that Draven and Udep both recognize.

Udep shakes in fear, nudging against the Clawitzer. "O-Oh no. Th-That laugh." Udep says feebly.

"It's _him_..." Draven says before he and the others look to the voice's direction, seeing the figure leaping off the crew's home. The figure lands on the ground, in front of the smoke. The figure reveal himself to be a bipedal creature with three board leaves as his hands, yellow eyes, a long pointed nose, and a white mane covering most of his face and trailing down his back: Shiftry. The Shiftry also has a red bandana wrapped around his head.

"Argh, Draven!" The Shiftry shouts, grinning deviously at the Clawitzer. The smoke disappears to reveal an army of Shiftrys and bipedal creatures with a single leaf on their heads, brown skin color, and mitten-like hands: Nuzleafs. The group of Pokemon all terrorize the crowd, chasing them away as the bandana Shiftry laughs in joy and folds his arms.

The Bisharp cop tries to shoot at the Nuzleafs but they dodge the bullets, firing several sharp leaves towards the cop: Razor Leaf. "Gah!" The cop gets hit by the moves, getting blown back and rolling all over the ground. A ton of Victreebel cops come rushing towards the scene, taking out their black handguns as well. The bandana Shiftry looks at the cops and shakes his head.

"Tsk, tsk." He says before forming several rocks from the ground, using Rock Slide on the Victreebels. The cops are hit by the attack and fly in the air, colliding into the Bisharp. The law enforcers are knocked out beside Draven and Udep. Udep yelps from the collision, hiding behind Draven and looking at the laughing Shiftry.

 _This don't look good..._ Cerise thinks, watching the crew rush towards Draven and his cousin.

"Uh Draven...What's going on here? And who are those guys?" Iris asks, raising her brow at the bandana Shiftry.

"Yeah, mate! That Shiftry fella is giving me some unnerving vibe!" Lucas joins in the conversation, nibbling on his paws in terror.

"We're being attacked by the Ravage Shiftleafs." Draven says, staring sternly at the bandana Shiftry.

"The Ravage whom again?" Anna replies, confused by what Draven said.

"The Ravage Shiftleafs: A band of land pirates formed by Shiftrys and Nuzleafs. They like to terrorize any nearby locations to get what they want."

"Land pirates!?" Mark and Natalie both yell in surprise.

"Yes. These boys only travel on land, never the sea." Draven explains, seeing the bandana Shiftry walk towards him and the others.

"And how did you know about these guys?" Iris asks, bringing her fists up as she stares at the Shiftry.

"Because I've dealt with them before. Mostly their leader: Captain Duke."

Captain Duke, the bandana Shiftry, stops in front of the group, his lackeys following along with him. "So this here is the fourth time we met, yargh?" Duke says in a raspy yet energetic tone.

Draven stares up at the Shiftry. "You say this everytime we encounter each other, Duke."

"That's _Captain_ Duke to you, matey. Now then, have you finally created those ships me and the lackeys always wanted?" Duke asks, rubbing his chin.

"I said this answer the first time. I said it the second. The third. And the answer won't change this time either: N.O."

"So...Necessarily, Of course?"

"NO! As in: Never! Okay!?"

Duke squints his eyes at the Clawitzer, becoming agitated by him. "Grr. Ya making me angry, lad! Can you at least let a feller borrow a tiny ship?"

Draven slams his big claw to the ground. "You heard me, Duke! I refuse to let pirates get their hands on any of the ships here, especially those that have caused trouble in the bay more than three times now!"

 _At least we're going undercover with our pirate status..._ Iris thinks, sweatdropping. _Also, THREE TIMES!?_

"Fine then! Ya'll regret ever saying no to me again!" Duke shouts, turning towards his crewmates. Anna blinks at the pirates, forming an goofy look on her face. Ashen and Jimmy notice the look on her face, tilting their heads confusedly.

"Uh, Anna? Are you okay?" Ashen asks, seeing the Ninetales beginning to chuckle.

"Alright mateys! We'll thrash this bay like last time!" Duke shouts as Anna continues to chuckle. "We'll crush em!" Anna chuckles... "And terrorize em!" The chuckling continues... "And most importantly: Steal the ship this time around!" The Ravage Shiftleafs cheer at the Shiftry before hearing a female voice bursting into laughter. "Eh?"

Everyone goes to look at Anna, who's on the ground slamming her paw constantly as she laughs. "Um...Anna? Are you okay?" Ashen asks once again in a concerned tone, raising his brow at the Ninetales.

"Regret? Terrorize? Crush?" Anna says, snickering at the Shiftleafs. "You honestly think you guys can do all of that... _while a Fire type is around_?" She gets up on her feet.

"Argh. And why ya think that matters?" Duke questions her.

"Because a single Flamethrower can obliterate you Grass jokes. In other words, type advantages."

"Ah. Yer one of them folks that believes in that nonsense." Duke grins.

"Nonsense? It's called _common sense_. Ever heard of Super Effective, Not Very Effective, and No Effect?"

"Indeed, lass. But those things don't really mean that a Grass type can't defeat a Fire type." Duke gets in the middle, rubbing his hands eagerly. "I can prove it to ya by offering a battle."

"A battle you say? Alright then." Anna gets in the middle as well, snickering along the way. "Stand back everyone, I'll blow this moron away with a single Fire move." Anna grins deviously, getting in a battle position.

"Um, Anna. Are you su-"

"I'm certain of it, Iris. I got this right in the bag." Anna interrupts the Dragonite, smirking at the Shiftry. The crew all look at each other for a moment before they eventually move to a spot that'll be safer from the potential fight, Draven and Udep following along. The Shiftleafs cheer for their leader as Duke stares at the Ninetales, smirking back. _This'll be fun._ She thinks, eyeing at the Shiftry.

 _End of Chapter 23._


	25. Chapter 24

**Author's notes: Here's the new chapter of MM for you all to read! Hopefully you guys enjoy it and let me know what you think about it as usual. Stay tune for Chapter 25 next Friday and also, I should urge you all to follow me or check my profile page frequently for any news updates! Just so you'll be aware of any news related to me or this story. Without further ado, enjoy. n_n #MixturingMoves**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Anna Vs Captain Duke Part 1.**

The feline creature hovers over a straight pathway, his face bathed in formality. He floats past a ton of orange colored trees, all oozing out orange substance from their leaves. He reaches at the end of the pathway, sitting down on a hill and staring across a huge town far from his location.

Mewtwo ponders at the site, his chin leaning against his palm. _It's only a few days left until the town celebrates Ho-Oh's birthday again...Everyone there is preparing for it..._ He thinks to himself. _I've lied to them before about Ho-Oh feeling ill and not wanting to be seen._ Mewtwo looks down and shakes his head, gripping his fist. _How long can I keep this lie intact? Until Iris finally gets her revenge?_ He then sighs heavily, looking back at the town. _Admittedly, it was my idea to help Iris get her revenge. Ho-Oh's behavior has gone too far. And someone other than myself has to teach him a lesson...Maybe Iris would just put him in an unconscious state, right?_

"U-Um, Mewtwo." A calm voice says behind Mewtwo. The feline blinks curiously and turns around, seeing a red vest Simisear. The Simisear walks towards him, looking at the feline with concern. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Ask away." Mewtwo replies softly.

"Is Lord Ho-Oh still under his deadly sickness?" The Simisear asks, holding his hands together.

Mewtwo nods his head. "Unfortunately so. From the looks of it, he's not ready to come out of the tower for a long time..."

"Oh...I..." Tears begin to form from the Simisear's eyes. "I-I see..." The ape grips his fist, frustrated by the answer given to him. "I-I should've expected the same answer from you...I...I miss our ruler." He tears up, closing his eyes in sorrow. "I miss the days where he was his kind and noble self. Where any dark hours such as these he would bestow us with light. With hope. He was everyone's inspiration to continue trying their best in this world we're living in."

Mewtwo folds his arms, looking off to the side with his face being filled with guilt. "Indeed...I apologize for telling you this news for the tenth time, Harrison."

Harrison, the Simisear, shakes his head after wiping away his tears. "Don't be. You were only doing your job to help a close friend of yours. After all...Ho-Oh will come back to his senses and things will get better..." He weakly smiles at the feline. "...R-Right?"

The two Pokemon stare at each other for a moment, the wind blowing the leaves around swiftly to occupy the quietness. Eventually, Mewtwo turns back towards the distant town and nods. "I hope so, too." He replies, gazing ahead of him. "Return back to the other guards at the Unbound Tower, alright?" The Simisear nods and walks away from Mewtwo. Mewtwo glances at the town, gripping his arms. _...The sadness on Harrison's face continues to affect me over and over again. Him and everyone else in the residence of Maple Town...Am I making the right decision here?_

. . .

Anna and Duke circle around each other, exchanging glances here and there. The Nuzleafs and Shiftrys yelp and shout in excitement, rooting for their captain. Iris and her crew do the same for Anna, the gang standing beside the crowd of Ravage Shiftleafs within the middle of the Seaport Bay.

"Kick her ass, Captain!" One of the Nuzleafs screams in a energetic, young tone.

"BURN HIM TO CRISPS, MATE!" Lucas shouts, his paws hovering over his mouth. Iris, Mark, Ashen, and Natalie raise their brow at the Furret.

"Whoa whoa, there. And I thought Claire was dark!" Natalie exclaims.

"Since when did you have a malice for Duke?" Ashen asks Lucas with uncomfort flowing throughout his body. Lucas looks at him and sticks his tongue out playfully.

"I just wanted to see some crazy action, okay?" He replies, chuckling afterwards. "Let a fella have some fun, will ya?"

"I approve of his taste." Claire joins the conversation, chuckling along with the Furret.

Natalie sweatdrops. "Uh, can you not, Claire?" She says, feeling uncomfortable along with Mark. Soon, everyone sees Anna forming flames around her mouth as Duke gets in a battle pose. Everyone is away from the two to give them some free space.

"Show me what ye got, young lass." The red bandana Shiftry says, beckoning his leaf-like finger.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Anna shouts before releasing a large stream of fire from her mouth. Duke pushes his hands forward and uses Protect, forming a clear shield around him as the Flamethrower attack hits it.

After the attack ends, Duke forms a glowing green sphere in between his hands. He then positions it to the side and fires the sphere at Anna, multiple leaves swirling around it: Leaf Storm. Anna sees the attack and counters it with Flamethrower, the two moves hit each other to create black smoke. As the smoke slowly fades away, the sky begins to shine brightly.

"Hey. Is it me or is the sky starting to become more brighter than usual?" Jimmy asks, scratching the side of his head confusedly. Everyone sees the sun's rays glaring from all kinds of directions, making it difficult for others to see.

"Yeah. You're right about the sky being brighter." Draven replies. "He's the cause of it." He points his big claw at Duke, everyone turning their attention towards the Shiftry. Duke's eyes are glowing white as orange beams shoot outward from his leaf-like hands, the sky emitting a large amount of light: Sunny Day.

Duke soon lowers his arms, the glow in his eyes stopping as he looks at Anna. The Ninetales chuckles at the Shiftry, shaking her head in disbelief. "Thanks for making this fight easier for me, idiot." She says, grinning at the Shiftry.

Everyone squints their eyes at the two, the brightness affecting their way of seeing the battle. "Ugh. I can barely see the two with this sunlight glaring at my eyes constantly." Iris groans, folding her arms.

Anna blinks curiously, her ear twitching to what the blue, crystalline necklace Dragonite said. "Well I can see perfectly despite the Sunny Day." She says before shrugging. "Must be a Fire-type thing or something." She then prepares another Flamethrower, looking ahead only to see the Shiftry in front of her. "What the hell!?" Duke immediately throws sand at the Ninetales' eyes, leading her to whimper and backs away. "Ugh! It feels so irritating and rough!"

As Anna proceeds to rubbing her eyes, Duke lifts his hands to summon several giant rocks from the ground. He then fires the rocks at Anna, the rocks hitting her and sending her flying across the sandy fields. Everyone gasps at the Ninetales getting hurt as the Shiftleafs cheer wildly for their captain. "Anna!" The crew yells, feeling worried for their companion.

Anna slides against the ground and stops, slowly getting up afterwards. "G-Grr..." She looks up, growling at the Shiftry. "That was pretty dirty of you, Duke." She says in an annoyed tone.

"Argh, just doing me job of teaching a foolish lass such as yourself." Duke replies, wiping off the leftover bits of sand from his hand.

"Lass? I believe that you're quite dumb yourself for thinking that I'm young. I may not look it but I'm actually a mature adult."

"Eh!? You are!?" Lucas says shockingly.

Anna turns towards the Furret with a bland look on her face. "Yes. Thought you knew about my age, Lucas..."

Lucas strokes his chest and leans against Ashen, putting his other paw over his head. "Oh brother! I've been shipping you with an old hag this whole time!"

Ashen raises his brow at Lucas before Anna snarls and shouts. "HEY! I'M NOT EVEN CLOSE TO BEING CONSIDERED A ELDER YET, DUMBASS!"

"Dumb what now, mate?" Lucas says, folding his arms.

Anna rolls her eyes. "Ugh. Nothing, Lucas." The Furret, in response, chuckled quite confidently.

"Argh! Ye better pay attention to yer opponent!" Duke exclaims, Anna looking to her side to see Duke running towards her. The Shiftry's speed is drastically quick, leading the Ninetales to gasp and proceed to using another Flamethrower, moving her head back before firing the attack. The Shiftry uses Protect while running, the shield causing the flames to spread around it. He then slaps Anna's face, causing her to fall to the ground and slide across it.

"Ugh...How are you moving this fast? Last that I recalled, you didn't move this fast earlier." She says, groaning uncomfortably.

"Ah yes. It's the power of me ability that allows me to move faster than ye: Chlorophyll." Duke explains in a deep, pirate tone.

"Chlorophyll?" Anna tilts her head confusedly.

"All of the Seedot line can be born with such a buried treasure of an ability, argh." Duke grins as he points at the brightly lit sky. "I used Sunny Day to trigger me ability, which relies on the harsh sunlight. I use the move despite yer typing so that I can have more advantage over ye with speed."

"Huh...I see then." The Ninetales slowly gets up and growls, proceeding to form flames around her mouth. "That doesn't change the fact that you'll still lose because of our type matchups! Thanks for making my Fire-type attack stronger, loser!" She blasts her move towards the Shiftry, her fiery flames swirling around furiously. Duke grins and dodges the Flamethrower instantly, sliding his feet across the sand before rushing his way to Anna. "Huh!?"

Duke kicks the Ninetales to the side, sending her sprawling all over the ground. Anna groans in pain, gripping the sands beneath her paws due to the hard kick. The Shiftry walks towards her casually, shaking his head as the crowd of wild Shiftleafs cheer him on in excitement. "I also forgot to mention," He pauses for a moment to squat down, having his arms over his knees. "I can dodge moves that normally hits the target with no fail, thanks to me being faster in the sunlight." Duke then begins to chuckle to himself, leading Anna to look up at him in confusion.

"What's so funny?" She asks.

"Ye. Being worthy as a _challenge_ , to me. When an opponent struggles to harm someone they're super effective against, ye know they're a failure to their own type. Right, lass?" He replies, chuckling more as he teases the Ninetales.

Anna glares at him, gritting her teeth furiously. "Shut up!" She yells before forming flames in her mouth once more. She then tries to fire her Flamethrower attack before having sand in her mouth, leading the flames to distinguish and her to cough.

Duke gets up and brushes the sands off from his hands, turning to face the group as the Shiftleafs leap in joy. "WOOHOO, CAPTAIN!" One of the Shiftrys shouts.

"YOU SHOWED HER WHO'S BOSS!" Another Shiftry says, giving a fellow Nuzleaf next to him a high five.

"Oh dear...Things aren't looking too swell for our friend Anna here." Jimmy says, feeling quite concerned about the Ninetales.

The harsh sunlight soon fades away as Duke walks towards the group, the crew beginning to spread worry across their faces. "Dang it! I was hoping that I'd see Anna be cool and kick some butt, today! But nope, she just had to lose so soon!" Lucas exclaims, sighing heavily.

Iris looks down at the Furret. "Did you not see her fight against those guards at the Cloyster Kingdom?" She says.

"I did. And she did half of the fighting compared to what we've done."

The Dragonite squints her eyes at him. "Really? We'll just ignore the amount of times she had to use Flamethrower on those guards and willing to shield someone she cares?"

Lucas waves his hand around. "Oh those were just good lucks. And besides," The Furret folds his arms, glaring at the Dragonite. "Can't believe that out of everyone saying that to me, it'll come from the lady that almost killed us with her selfishness."

Iris frowns at the eye-patched Furret. "I said I was sorry, for crying out loud!"

"Like I'll believe that anytime soon, mate! Until I'm convinced otherwise, you're not receiving an acceptance from me."

Iris stares at Lucas for a brief moment before looking at the battle, folding her arms and sighing heavily. "Sure, whatever you say..."

Everyone sees Duke get close to Draven, the Clawitzer glancing at him as he gets in front of Udep. Duke sighs in relief, smirking at him. "I suppose I'll be taking my leave, for now. This fight was so embarrassing that I'll let you off the hook because of it." Duke says, putting his hands by his hips. He then looks at his crewmates, giving them a thumbs up. "Let's venture out of here, mateys!"

"Yeah!" The Ravage Shiftleafs yell, all joining up with their boss while passing by the group. One of them knocks Mark and Natalie to the side, leading the two to fall.

"Whoa!" The two yell before Natalie lands on her back and Mark landing right on top of her. The Riolu's nose touches the Zorua's, leading the two to blush heavily. Awkwardness begins to form between the two for a brief moment, nervousness building up in their bodies. _This is awkward!_ The two thinks, getting off from each other and brushing each other off. "Sorry." The two say to each other at the same time, both looking away as if nothing has happened.

Claire snarls at the group passing by. "Watch where you going, you savage fools!" She exclaims, getting closer to Natalie afterwards. "You almost ran over my mistress, here!" She then looks at the Zorua. "Are you alright, mistress?"

Natalie looks back and nods. "Yeah. No broken bones being felt from all of that, as far as I know."

"DUKE!" An eerie female voice shouts, loud enough for everyone to stop everything they're doing. Udep jumps and hides behind Draven due to the voice terrifying him.

"Eeek! Where did that voice come from!?" The Clauncher says, shaking in fear.

Duke blinks curiously. "What in the name of Davy Jones' Locker was that?" He says, finding the voice disturbing to hear out of the blue. He and everyone else begin to turn towards the voice's location, seeing Anna slowly getting up on her feet. The Ninetales' body is surrounded by corrupted red aura, her panting gradually before looking up at the Shiftry.

"All I did was cough from the sand you threw at me. And that is considered a win to you?" Anna says in a corrupted tone, glaring at Duke. "That's more pathetic than me losing to someone that has a type disadvantage."

Duke glares back at the Ninetales, he and his crew feeling quite displeased by what she said. Draven and Udep look at the Ninetales, suspense beginning to spread throughout their faces. "What's going on with her body!?" Draven asks, looking quite uneasy from the auras.

"Anna is using her Mythical Power..." Iris answers.

Draven looks at her. "Mythical Power? You mean those things you heard of from books?"

Iris nods. "Yeah."

"That...can't be. I thought Mythical Powers were fake and filled with false evidence that was too ridiculous to believe!" Draven sweatdrops, beginning to pull a book out from his big claw's mouth. The book is colored dark red and has the words 'The History Behind Mythical Powers' labeled at the top.

"Well, um, that...book wasn't lying. At least from what I know of..." Iris shrugs. "Also, you Clawitzers can hold onto things inside of that big claw!? And where did you get that book from!?" Iris' eyes widen at the book being in Draven's other claw.

"Yes. I can hold about two or three things in there because of how big it is." Draven answers. "Also, I got this book delivered to me by my brother a couple of months ago." He looks at the book, scratching the side of his head. "Don't know why I kept it for so long before realizing that it's not false..."

"I see." Iris notices that the book doesn't have the author's name written on it, leading her to think to herself. _Huh...I wonder who wrote that book..._ "Anyways, all I know is that Anna is using her Mythical Power right now. So things may get...chaotic."

Draven and Udep slowly stare at the Dragonite. "Cha...otic?" The two say in a hesitate tone.

"Yeah...Hide if things gets worse..." She shrugs uneasily as the two Pokemon gulp.

Duke looks at his crewmates and sighs heavily. "Looks like I will have to deal with this a little longer, mateys." He says, cracking his fists before glaring at the Ninetales. He moves towards an open spot, everyone staring at him and Anna in anticipation.

"Alright, Anna! Show him what you made of!" Lucas shouts, cheering the Ninetales on.

"Argh, it seems like yer serious." Duke positions himself, getting in a fighting stance. "If that's the case, then I will be serious as well."

"Earlier was a warmup. And now this time is for real?" Anna says before snickering, preparing herself as well. "How generous of you." Flames beginning to form within her mouth. "Too bad you're going to lose right here, right now!" She begins to dash towards the Shiftry as he embraces the incoming attack.

 _To be continued..._

 _End of Chapter 24._


	26. Chapter 25

**Author's notes: Hello, everyone. I don't have much to say other than this new chapter being up and available. So yeah, hope you all enjoy this chapter and as usual, let me know what you think about it. Also don't forget to follow me for any updates on myself and the story as well. Without further ado, enjoy. c: #MixturingMoves**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: Anna Vs Duke Part 2.**

She runs towards the red bandana Shiftry, flames surrounding her mouth as she growls ferociously. Anna releases her Flamethrower attack, the stream of flames aiming straight at Duke. Duke dodges to the side, sliding his feet across the sands. He then dashes to the Ninetales and roundhouse kicks her to the right. Anna slides slightly from the kick, grunting afterwards. She remains standing and looks to the side, noticing an incoming Leaf Storm from Duke.

Anna counters the attack with Flamethrower, the two moves causing smoke to form due to the collision. After the smoke fades away, Anna's face gets punched by Duke, his leaf-like fist ramming into her face with all of his might. Unfortunately, that might wasn't enough as Anna seems unfazed by the punch. "Hmm?" Duke says, raising his brow. Anna immediately sinks her teeth into Duke's fist, causing him to scream. "YOW, MATE!" He yells, feeling the pressure of Anna's teeth drilling in his hand.

Anna then spins around rapidly, tossing the Shiftry across the shores. "CAPTAIN!" The Ravage Shiftleafs shout, all gasping at their leader being harmed. Duke soon lands into a wooden house, causing it to collapse as other Pokemon scurry away from the location. The Shiftleafs rush to their leader's aid with worry spreading across their faces. Anna sighs in relief, turning towards the group before smirking.

"Looks like we're about done here." She says, sticking her tongue out at the Shiftleafs to mock them.

"Woohoo! You go, Anna!" Lucas shouts, the crew all cheering for her afterwards. Natalie and Mark high five each other as Claire and Jimmy smile at the Ninetales. Lucas fistpumps his brother as Iris folds her arms, revealing a tiny nail from the tip of her paw to resemble a thumbs-up.

"Yaaay! The Shiftleafs can leave, now!" Udep exclaims, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Yeah...Although, who's going to repair the house over there?" Draven asks, seeing bits of wood falling onto the sand. Anna looks at the nonexistent building for a moment before staring at the Clawitzer.

"I suppose me and my friends will get it fixed." She then looks at the crew. "Right?" All, except for Claire, receive an amount of uncomfort from the Ninetales due to her voice. "What?"

"Your tone is starting to terrify me and my cousin, dear." Draven says, petting the Clauncher on the head.

"Yeah. I didn't realize how scary your voice was in your Mythical Power until now, Anna." Ashen admits, shrugging while putting one paw onto his arm.

"Oh...Sorry, guys." Anna replies, looking off to the side. Claire shakes her head at the group.

"Fools. Her tone was nothing compared to mine during my injured phase." Claire says, licking her paw casually.

"It's true! I...still can't get that voice of hers out of my head." Mark says, staring off into outer space as if he's seen the abyss. Draven and Udep look at each other for a moment before looking at the Shinx, raising their brows at her.

"I...see." Draven says in a unsure manner.

"HEY!" A voice shouts in the distance, grabbing everyone's attention. The group look at the voice's location to see Duke standing in front of the Ravage Shiftleafs, the Shiftry panting heavily. His hand oozes a ton of liquid from it, which paints the sand green. Duke then raises his arms up, using Sunny Day to summon the harsh sunlight once again. "I'm not playing any more games with you now, lass." He says with rage spreading across his face. Multiple rocks are beginning to form besides him, swirling around the Shiftry as he takes off running. "THIS IS THE REAL FIGHT, MATEY!"

Duke fires Rock Slide at Anna, dashing as quickly as he can. Anna grits her teeth and looks at the group behind him. "Move out of the way!" She tells them, leading the others to move quickly. She then runs towards Duke, jumping and dodging each and every rocks being thrown at her. Soon the two collide their heads into each other, staring in pure fury for a brief moment. They back away and use their moves onto each other: Anna fires multiple Flamethrower attacks while Duke flings more Rock Slide at her.

The two are dodging each other moves from left to right, the crowd of Shiftleafs cheering in joy for Duke while the gang hopes for the best on Anna. Cerise watches the fight from the crew's home, anxiety beginning to swirl throughout his body. _Please be careful, Anna..._ He thinks to himself, becoming tensed by the action.

Anna runs towards Duke and jumps on him, kicking the Shiftry away as she does a backflip. Duke slides across the ground, struggling to find his balance before falling on his back. As Duke climbs to his feet, Anna closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, acting as though she doesn't hear anything around her. She inhales the natural air given to her, her body glowing brightly for a moment. She then exhales, opening her eyes while her body no longer glows: Calm Mind.

After using Calm Mind, Anna notices a huge rock aiming at her and dodges the attack, clawing at the ground. She then blows a large stream of flames out of her mouth, hitting the Shiftry with Flamethrower. Duke tries to use Protect but gets caught in the flames, screaming in drastic pain. He tries to remain standing but Anna increases the Flamethrower's strength, blowing the Shiftry off the ground.

"AAAH!" The Shiftry screams, flying in the air for a moment before crashing into the ground, sliding across it.

"CAPTAIN!" The Ravage Shiftleafs yell, rushing towards their captain's aid. The group surrounds the red bandana Shiftry, Duke remaining on the ground and grunting in pain. His body is covered in burn marks and bruises because of the Flamethrower attack.

"Come on, Cap! Don't gev up just yet!" The first Nuzleaf says, moving the Shiftry's arm.

"Yeah! Show that there Ninetales who's boss, Cap!" The second Nuzleaf adds on.

Anna looks at the group and shakes her head, laughing to herself. "Your leader is down. Give up and scram." She says with a grin.

The Shiftleafs look at her, all staring sternly at her. "SHUT UP, YE SCALLYWAG! YE ALMOST KILLED OUR CAP WITH YER FLAMETHROWER ATTACK!" The first Nuzleaf yells, gripping his fist.

Anna snickers once more. "Oh please. You all are mad because I beat your boss fair and square. He'll be fine."

"Actually, not to defend this guy or anything but you did go a bit overboard with your Flamethrower attack." Ashen points out.

Anna glances at the Linoone immediately, her face reverting to seriousness. "Oh I didn't put too much power into my Flamethrower."

"You honestly did if he received burn marks in the first place." Ashen shrugs.

Anna smacks her lips and looks away. "Hmph! Like I've said: He'll be fine."

Iris looks at the Ninetales, feeling something off about her. "Um, Anna." She pauses for a moment. "Don't you think you're being a bit overconfident about this?"

The Ninetales stares back at Iris, tilting her head. "How come?" She asks. "Is it because you have a lack of faith in me? Or is it that you're jealous of me being this confident in a battle?"

Iris and her crew raise their brows at Anna, perplexed by her conclusion. "What? No. None of those you mentioned are right."

"Then what is it, Iris? Huh? Tell me why I'm being overconfident."

"Um..."

Soon, everyone hears a groan coming from Duke. They look at him, seeing him slowly get up on his feet as he chuckles. The Shiftleafs cheer for their leader gaining the courage to stand, rooting for him to continue battling.

Anna glares at the Shiftry and growls, her orange aura further surrounding her. "How the HELL is he still standing after being hit by a plus one STAB Flamethrower..." She pauses for a moment to point at the brightly lit sky with her tails. "IN THE SUN!"

Duke looks at the Ninetales and smirks, his eyes beginning to glow the color green and black. "Ye know..." His red bandana glows white as he continues to speak. "I don't give up so easily, yargh..." He spreads his arms out, staring grimly at Anna. "Despite your facts, me energy is still left intact. A small bit of them, no less."

Anna blinks for a moment before grinning deviously. "Oh? Isn't that so?" She giggles in her eerie voice, her eyes glowing orange as her earrings glow white. "Then let me eradicate that last bit of energy for you!" Flames and dark energy begin to form from her mouth as she slowly opens it.

Udep notices the glowing bandana and earrings from the two Pokemon, gasping in awe. "Cousin, isn't that-"

"Yes, Udep. Those are their Marvel Mischiefs." Draven says to the Clauncher, staring in surprise himself. "Never thought there'll be a day where I can finally see a Mixturing Move in action. Let alone two of them!"

Duke begins to charge towards the Ninetales, his hands forming aquatic orbs with red auras swirling around them. Anna snarls deeply, preparing her ultimate move on Duke.

"Fire Dark Pulse!" Anna yells before firing her Mixturing Move at Duke.

"Water Hyper Beam!" Duke shouts, moving his arms forward to release his Mixturing Move.

The two moves collide against each other, causing the Shiftry to stop in his path. Intense wind forms from the powerful moves, everyone backing away from the two and flinching from the impact. The townsfolk yelp from the impact, covering their eyes to protect themselves from the sand being tossed at them.

"HOLY SMOKES, MATE! THIS IS TOO POWERFUL!" Lucas shouts, shielding his eyes from the wind.

"Yeah! The Mixturing Move collision Tybalt and I did wasn't like this at all!" Iris agrees, grunting from the wind pushing her slightly.

The two Mixturing Moves push each other back and forth, attempting to overcome one another. Anna's corrupted dark flames howl at the Shiftry's raging aquatic beam, the two increasing their strength more and more.

Soon, Anna's flames begin to weaken and wither, leading her to become shock. "Hmm!?" She tries to increase its strength once more, seeing Duke's MM inching ever closer to her. _Come on stupid flame! Go back to being strong!_ She thinks to herself, blowing as much flames as possible, using all the strength she could muster. Unfortunately, Duke's MM becomes stronger and stronger as it almost reaches her. _COME ON!_ Eventually, Anna gets engulfed by the MM, screaming in pure agony before being launched across the shores.

Iris and the gang notice the Ninetales and gasp. "ANNA!" All except for Claire shout, seeing the Ninetales crashing towards the ground and sliding across it. Duke's MM soon fades away, the Shiftry panting heavily as he lowers his arms down. The crew, Draven and Udep rush towards Anna's aid, Anna twitching her body in a sensitive manner due to the powerful attack.

Duke's eyes and bandana stop glowing, the Shiftry sighing heavily afterwards. "Well then...That was something..." Duke says to himself, him and the rest of the Shiftleafs walking towards the gang. Anna slowly lifts her head and stares at Duke along with the others, her glow disappearing as well. "I have to say, this here battle was intense. I haven't experienced anything like that in a long while." Duke sighs and squats in front of the Ninetales. "Ye put up a good fight, lass. But I suggest that ye start getting better at battling. The way ye fight was not by the head."

"And what's that s-supposed to m-mean?" Anna says weakly, stuttering in some of her words. Her voice is no longer in the corrupted tone.

"Yer overconfidence had led ye to lose, matey. Ye tried so hard to prove yer point that ye didn't think throughout the battle. All ye did was," He uses his fist to punch his other hand. "Mindless fighting."

"...Well, you did some mindless fighting, too!"

"Yeah? And I think, lass. I think about every decision I make in the battle and try me best to survive in it. So that I can remain alive to _protect_ me crew." The Shiftleafs cheer ecstatically, agreeing with their captain.

"Thanks, Cap!" One of the Shiftrys shouts, feeling proud about his captain caring for him and the others.

"..." Anna remains speechless, thinking about the word 'protect' and staring off to the side.

Duke looks at Draven as he stands up, stretching afterwards. "Welp, I'll be taking me leave. Will be thrashing yer port next time, Draven lad." Duke says, turning towards the forest beside the bay. "Off we go, lads!"

Soon, he and the rest of the Ravage Shiftleafs exit the bay, dashing off into the forest and getting further away the crew. Draven sighs heavily, shaking his head. "Well great, guess I'll have to continue dealing with him in the future..." He says to himself, the law enforcers finally beginning to wake up from their unconscious state.

"Ugh...Is that Ravage Shift-something group still here?" The Bisharp cop from earlier asks, rubbing his head softly. He looks around to not see a single Shiftry nor Nuzleaf anywhere, shrugging afterwards. "I guess not."

The Bisharp and the rest of the officers help each other up as the civilians in the bay begin to come out of hiding. While this happens, Lucas starts to pout and folds his arms.

"Well jeez! I was hoping Anna could win that fight but I guess type advantage really doesn't benefit her favors, huh?" The Furret says in disappointment.

Anna stares off at the forest, not saying a single word for awhile. She stares and stares, remembering the things the Shiftry told her before letting out a huge sigh.

"I suppose so..."

 _End of Chapter 25._


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